Skeleton found at 6th site in Dharmasthala mass burial case, SIT gets first forensic breakthrough

In a key development in the Dharmasthala mass burial case, partial human skeletal remains were recovered from the sixth excavation site identified by a whistleblower. This marks the first time since the start of the investigation that concrete forensic evidence has been found. The excavation was carried out on Tuesday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the presence of forensic experts and local officials.

The remains, believed to be male, were located approximately eight feet below the surface at the site specified by the complainant. The forensic team secured the bones for laboratory analysis to determine the age, identity, and cause of death. Earlier, five excavation sites yielded no skeletal remains. The first of those sites, located along the Nethravathi River, encountered water seepage and was dug deeper with machinery but produced no results.

The investigation was initiated following a complaint lodged on July 4 by a former sanitation worker who alleged that he was forced to bury and cremate multiple bodies—many reportedly of women and minors—between 1998 and 2014 in Dharmasthala. The Karnataka government formed the SIT on July 19 to probe the allegations. As of now, 13 locations have been identified for excavation, with eight near the Nethravathi River, four near the highway, and one on the road linking Nethravathi to Aajukuri.

Advocate N Manjunath, who represents Sujatha Bhat—the mother of missing medical student Ananya Bhat—confirmed that several items were recovered from the sixth site, including a PAN card and two ATM cards. One ATM card bore the name ‘Lakshmi’ while the other had a male name. He said these findings may help identify the individuals linked to the site.

The whistleblower has also pointed out an additional location believed to contain the highest number of burials, which lies outside the current 13 identified sites. This spot is expected to be investigated in a future phase. Forensic analysis of the newly recovered remains is underway, with efforts ongoing to match them with missing persons reports from the region.