Mangaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is expected to complete the excavation at the 13th and final designated burial site in Dharmasthala on Wednesday, marking the conclusion of this phase of the investigation. The team is currently preparing for excavation at this site, located near the Netravathi-Ajikuri Road, while also continuing work at a newly identified site, now labeled burial site number 14, where multiple bones were discovered on August 4.
Authorities have indicated that the SIT will question Jayanth, a social activist who filed a complaint about the illegal disposal of a murdered minor girl’s body, aged between 13 and 15, without following legal procedures. The investigation into the burial sites began on July 29, with 12 sites excavated so far. Human remains were confirmed at the sixth site, though the SIT has not provided detailed updates on their findings.
Work at the 11th and 12th sites was completed on Tuesday, but no significant evidence was uncovered there. The SIT chief, DGP Pronab Mohanty, who has arrived in Mangaluru to oversee the investigation, has indicated that the ongoing excavation of the 13th site will signal the end of the first phase of the probe.
A major development occurred on July 11 when a complainant, claiming to have been forced to bury victims of rape and murder, appeared in court in Mangaluru and gave a statement. He alleged that the bodies showed signs of sexual assault, were found without clothing, and had injuries indicating violent abuse. These claims have sparked widespread shock across Karnataka and the country.
Following this, there have been calls from activists and a retired Supreme Court judge for the case to be monitored by the Supreme Court or High Court through a special SIT. Earlier, the SIT chief mentioned that no significant items had been recovered from previous sites, but later reports revealed that a torn red blouse and a woman’s PAN card belonging to Lakshmi were found at the first burial site. Additionally, the whistleblower reportedly submitted a skull believed to have been recovered from one of the burial sites.