Dharmasthala case: SIT to expand probe across states

Dharmasthala case: SIT to expand probe across states

mangaloretoday.com

Bengaluru, August 29, 2025: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala is set to expand its investigation, revisiting a 7-year-old panel report that highlighted numerous suspicious deaths and disappearances of women and children around the temple town.

 

The SIT will now examine First Information Reports (FIRs) registered in Karnataka and neighbouring states—Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Goa—concerning missing pilgrims who may have visited Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014.

The move comes after renewed scrutiny of a 2018 report by a panel led by former legislator V S Ugrappa, which documented a disturbing pattern of disappearances across the state, particularly in Belthangady Taluk, where Dharmasthala is located. The 5,000-page report had called for the establishment of a dedicated police force to trace missing women and girls, and a special cell in Belthangady, citing an abnormally high incidence of unnatural deaths in the region.

Widening the Scope

The SIT is now actively investigating previous complaints about suspicious burials, some allegedly conducted without autopsy, and is also examining the possibility of "unexplained disappearances" of pilgrims during the nearly two-decade time frame.

A senior SIT official confirmed that the current complainant’s claims—regarding mass killings and burials—were “not entirely baseless,” prompting the decision to broaden the investigation. The team continues its search for buried remains, with forensic reports pending on materials already recovered.

“We are awaiting the forensic analysis of remains recovered from various sites,” said an SIT source. “Our search for skeletal remains will continue at locations flagged by informants and tip-offs.

We’re also cross-referencing missing persons data from neighbouring states to establish any potential links.”

Forensic Challenge:

The SIT is launching a multidisciplinary, technology-driven forensic investigation. Experts caution, however, that Dharmasthala’s acidic soil conditions may have degraded remains buried over 15 years ago. Still, chemical residues like phosphates, nitrates, lipids, or even DNA fragments could offer crucial clues.

Yet, forensic scientists warn that such organic residues may also originate from natural decomposition or unrelated sources, complicating efforts to link the findings to alleged killings.

Complainant Under Scrutiny

Interestingly, the SIT is also probing the complainant, who dramatically entered court with a human skull, falsely claiming it belonged to one of the alleged victims. Forensic analysis later revealed the skull was unrelated to the case.

“The skull was introduced as evidence in an attempt to sensationalize the issue,” said a source. “We’re now investigating where he got it, whose skull it is, and whether a larger network is behind this fabrication.

The court was informed, and we established that the artefact had no connection to the case.”

SIT’s Roadmap

Primary Focus (90%): Exhumation efforts and tracing the origin of the skull presented by the complainant.

Secondary Focus (10%): Investigating additional complaints and reports of suspicious deaths or burials.

Cross-State Investigation:

Reviewing missing persons cases linked to Dharmasthala pilgrims from other states.

Forensic Strategy: Soil analysis and trace chemical detection to determine potential burial sites from over a decade ago.

The SIT has committed to a thorough and evidence-based investigation as it navigates one of Karnataka’s most complex and disturbing cases in recent years.