Bengaluru | September 2, 2025
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed on July 19, 2025, to probe the Dharmasthala mass burial allegations, continues to tighten its investigation. On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, a series of key developments unfolded involving custody proceedings, local cooperation, and new financial scrutiny.
Custody Extension of Complainant
The complainant, a former sanitation worker from Dharmasthala, was earlier arrested after filing a complaint at the Dharmasthala Police Station (FIR No. 52/2025, dated July 4, 2025). He had alleged that he was coerced into burying multiple bodies between 1995 and 2014, many of which reportedly bore signs of assault.
On September 2, 2025, the complainant was produced before the Belthangady magistrate court. The SIT is expected to formally seek an extension of his custody to continue questioning, citing inconsistencies in his earlier statements. Sources in the Home Ministry confirmed that officials are carefully reviewing his documents and mahazars before submitting the request.
Complaint Against YouTubers
On the same day, activist Prashant S. Sambaragi lodged a complaint with the SIT alleging that several YouTube channels had uploaded interviews with the complainant while he was under judicial protection. He argued that this constituted a breach of witness protection and amounted to a “pre-planned criminal conspiracy.”
The SIT has not yet confirmed whether new FIRs will be registered against these media entities, but the complaint is currently under review.
Villagers Offer to Identify Burial Sites
A group of villagers from the Dharmasthala region submitted a letter to the SIT on September 2, 2025, offering to point out alleged burial sites. They claimed that they recognized the complainant featured in media reports and recalled that certain locations were frequently used for covert burials.
The SIT has acknowledged the letter and is examining whether fresh exhumations should be authorized based on these leads. Earlier, two sets of skeletal remains were exhumed and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Bengaluru, for analysis.
Home Minister Rules Out NIA Probe
Speaking in Bengaluru, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated that the SIT is “fully capable” of handling the case, ruling out the possibility of transferring the matter to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
However, he added that oversight by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would not be objected to, especially if financial irregularities or foreign funding angles were detected.
Enforcement Directorate Investigation
Confirming the financial scrutiny, the ED initiated an inquiry into possible foreign funding linked to the Dharmasthala case. NGOs including Odanadi and Samvada are reportedly under the scanner.
The ED has sought bank account records from the State Bank of India (SBI) and other institutions to track possible money flows into Karnataka that may have influenced or funded campaigns around the case. Officials have not released a timeline for the completion of this financial probe.
Conclusion
As of September 2, 2025, the Dharmasthala mass burial investigation remains active on multiple fronts:
- The SIT is focused on extending witness custody and evaluating fresh local inputs.
- Activists are raising concerns about media interference.
- Villagers are offering new leads that may expand the scope of exhumations.
- The ED has entered the frame to track potential foreign funding.
At the same time, political parties and sections of mainstream media continue to shape the narrative, raising fears of diversion from the central question—whether justice will be delivered in a case tied to decades-old allegations of sexual violence and illegal burials.
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