Dharmasthala mass burial case: Advocate urges use of radar technology for exhumation

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 4, 2025: An advocate for the mother of a medical student who allegedly went missing in Dharmasthala in 2003 has urged Special Investigation Team (SIT) to use Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) at locations already identified and exhumed by complainant witness in mass burial case.

Manjunath is the legal counsel for Sujatha Bhat, mother of Ananya Bhat, a medical student who allegedly disappeared while she was in Dharmasthala in 2003.

“According to the complainant witness he left Dharmasthala in 2014. Dharmasthala region experiences heavy rainfall and there is a high possibility of soil shifting. Since considerable changes have occurred in the forest area over approximately 11 years, there is a high probability that the landmarks the complainant witness had relied on in his memory may have changed or shifted. We request the deployment of the most advanced GPR available in India to detect skeletal remains at the already excavated locations and in the surrounding areas,” he said in a statement.

The SIT, is expected to resume exhuming work in the 11th site shown by the complainant witness on Monday.

Jayant, who has come up with a fresh complaint, will also likely to meet SIT officers in Belthangady on Monday.

“Jayanth’s complaint supports some of the existing allegations. We will look into the complaint and will study it carefully before deciding on the next step. Once digging in all 13 sites are completed, then we will record another detailed statement from the complainant witness,” said sources in SIT.