A FOUR-member team from NHRChasarrivedinBelthangady taluk and on Tuesday launched a probe into the allegations of mass secret burials in Dharmasthala. Initiated by the NHRC on its own, the probe involves visits to criticallocalinstitutions,including the Gram Panchayat office, the local police station, the Dharmasthala templepremises, and theSIT (SpecialInvestigation Team) office. During initial consultations, theNHRC team,headed by Senior Superintendent of PoliceYuvaraj, gathered records of unnatural death cases spanning decades. Sanitation workers and other relevant individuals have provided statements to support the investigation.

 

The inquiry is expected to span four to ive days, according to the police.Awitness, previously a sanitation worker, claimed and asserted he was forced to bury numerous bodies—many of them women and minors—over several years. SIT TO USE GPR TECHNOLOGYFORSITESCAN:THESpecial Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged burial of bodies in Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district has been conducting a site examination at ‘spot number 13’ using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology.According tosources, the SIT has deployed a highcapacity drone equipped withradar imaging to scan the location and detect any objectsburied underground. The radarwill provide live images of subsurface anomalies. The inspection is being led by SIT chief PranabMohanty, who arrived inMangaluru earlier on Tuesdaybefore proceeding to the SIToffice in Belthangady.

 

Mohanty, accompanied by SIT officialsandtheAssistantCommissioner, is likely to visit the site alongwith the complainant and hislegal counsel. Officials said the GPR examination is being carried out in thepresenceof thecomplainantandhis lawyer to ensure transparency. The move is expected to helpuncover crucial evidencerelatedto the case. The SIT has identified‘spotnumber13’asakeylocation in its ongoing probe, andinvestigators believe the radarscan could provide significantleads in resolving the matter