Sat Aug 02 10:56:25 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the provided text followed by a news article rewrite:

**Summary:**

A sanitation worker, who claims he was forced to bury bodies in Dharmasthala a decade ago, has allegedly been coerced by a Sub-Inspector within the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to retract his complaint. The worker’s advocate alleges that the SI threatened him with imprisonment and pressured him to implicate others. The advocate is demanding the SI’s removal from the investigation. Meanwhile, the SIT is continuing its investigation, digging at sites indicated by the complainant, but has so far only found bones at one location.

**News Article:**

**SIT Investigator Accused of Coercing Witness in Dharmasthala Burial Case**

**MANGALORE, August 2, 2025** – A Special Investigation Team (SIT) tasked with investigating alleged forced burials in Dharmasthala is facing accusations of misconduct. Ananya Gowda, the advocate representing a 50-year-old sanitation worker who claims he was forced to bury numerous bodies a decade ago, has alleged that a Sub-Inspector within the SIT is attempting to coerce her client into retracting his complaint.

According to a formal complaint filed with the SIT office, Sub-Inspector Manjunath Gowda allegedly threatened the sanitation worker with imprisonment and pressured him to disown his original statement during questioning at the SIT camp office in Belthangady on August 1st. The advocate claims the SI then recorded a coerced retraction statement on his personal mobile phone, urging the complainant to implicate unknown individuals instead.

“We are shocked by the conduct of Sub-Inspector Manjunath Gowda,” Advocate Ananya Gowda stated. She has called for the immediate removal of the officer from the investigation to ensure the complainant can speak freely and without fear of retribution.

The SIT has yet to respond to these allegations.

Meanwhile, the investigation continues. On August 2nd, the SIT excavated site numbers 9 through 12 in Dharmasthala, areas identified by the complainant as burial locations. To date, the SIT has dug at eight sites. Remains consisting of approximately 15 bones were discovered at site number 6, but no skeletal remains were found at the other seven locations.

The excavation process is being overseen by Assistant Commissioner of Puttur, Stella Varghese, forensic doctors, and scene-of-crime officers. The investigation into the alleged forced burials remains ongoing.

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