Tue Jul 15 11:06:12 UTC 2025: ## Summary:
A complaint alleging secret burials in Dharmasthala, Karnataka, has sparked calls for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe. The complaint, filed on July 3rd, 2025, alleges that the complainant was forced to bury bodies of murder and rape victims between 1995 and 2014 while working as a sanitation worker. The Karnataka State Commission for Women Chairperson, Nagalakshmi Choudhary, has written to the Chief Minister requesting an SIT to investigate missing women, unnatural deaths, murders, and rapes in the area over the past two decades. Advocates representing the complainant have also strongly advocated for an SIT, citing the unique and disturbing nature of the case. Police are currently determining whether to change the Investigation Officer or form an SIT. The complainant has already presented skeletal remains to the court.
## News Article:
**Dharmasthala Scandal: Calls for SIT Probe into Alleged Secret Burials**
**MANGALURU, July 15, 2025** – Mounting pressure is building for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate allegations of secret burials in Dharmasthala, Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. A formal complaint was filed on July 3rd with Dharmasthala police by a former sanitation worker claiming he was forced to bury bodies of numerous murder and rape victims between 1995 and 2014.
The Karnataka State Commission for Women Chairperson, Nagalakshmi Choudhary, has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to establish an SIT to probe not only the burial allegations but also a wider range of cases including missing women, unnatural deaths, murders, and rapes reported in the area over the last two decades.
Advocates representing the complainant, Ojaswi Gowda and Sachin Deshpande, have echoed the call for an SIT. In a statement released today, they emphasized the “profoundly disturbing” nature of the case and the need for an “independent and highly competent SIT” to secure justice for the victims. The broader advocate community has reportedly urged them to press for the SIT formation under “stringent and principled conditions.”
Concerns have also been raised about alleged inadequate police response to families of victims in the past. The Commission for Women’s letter highlights these concerns, further underscoring the need for a thorough and unbiased investigation.
Police officials have stated that they are evaluating the need for a change in Investigation Officer or the formation of an SIT, considering the demands of the complainant and their legal representatives.
The complainant has already presented what he claims are exhumed skeletal remains to the Belthangady court, further intensifying the investigation. The case has been registered under Section 211 (a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The unfolding scandal has sent shockwaves through the region, and the demand for a comprehensive and transparent investigation continues to grow. The formation of an SIT is seen as crucial to uncovering the truth and ensuring justice for the alleged victims.
First Piper 