Dharmasthala mass grave allegation: SIT to use GPR technology for site scan
Mangaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged burial of bodies in Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district has been conducting a site examination using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology.
According to sources, the SIT has deployed a high-capacity drone equipped with radar imaging to scan the location and detect any objects buried underground. The radar will provide live images of sub-surface anomalies.
The inspection is being led by SIT chief Pranab Mohanty, who arrived in Mangaluru earlier today before proceeding to the SIT office in Belthangady.
Mohanty, accompanied by SIT officials and the Assistant Commissioner, is likely to visit the site along with the complainant and his legal
counsel.
Officials said the GPR examination is being carried out in the presence of the complainant and his lawyer to ensure transparency. The move is expected to help uncover crucial evidence related to the case.
The SIT has identified ‘spot number 13’ as a key location in its ongoing probe, and investigators believe the radar scan could provide significant leads in resolving the matter.
Meanwhile, a four-member team from NHRC has arrived in Belthangady taluk and on Tuesday launched a probe into the allegations of mass secret burials.
Initiated by the NHRC on its own, the probe involves visits to critical local institutions, including the Gram Panchayat office, the local police station, the Dharmasthala temple premises, and the SIT office.
During initial consultations, the NHRC team, headed by Senior Superintendent of Police Yuvaraj, 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 five days, according to the police.
A witness, previously a sanitation worker, claimed and asserted he was forced to bury numerous bodies—many of them women and minors—over several years.