The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is on the final stretch of its excavation work at Karnataka&rsquo;s Dharmasthala, where allegations of mass graves have rattled the temple town. On Monday, the SIT began digging the 11th burial site, with two more remaining out of the 13 identified by the whistleblower.
Excavation efforts, led by Assistant Commissioner (Revenue) Stella Varghese, resumed after a one-day break on Sunday. The probe gained momentum last week when bones &mdash; including a skull and 10&ndash;12 skeletal fragments &mdash; were recovered from Burial Site No. 6.
Each site has initially been cleared to a 5x6 feet depth, with further steps based on what&rsquo;s found. The final site lies near the banks of the River Nethravathi and has been secured for privacy.
While most of the sites have yielded little evidence, the sixth site and the first site &mdash; from where a red blouse and a woman&rsquo;s PAN card were allegedly recovered &mdash; have stirred serious concerns.
Adding to the growing unease, a social activist recently filed a fresh complaint, alleging he witnessed the illegal disposal of a 15-year-old girl&rsquo;s body years ago.
In a major twist, the anonymous complainant, who claims he was forced to bury multiple raped and murdered victims, recorded his statement in court last month. He described graphic signs of sexual violence and demanded exhumation in his presence.
Public outrage is mounting, with calls from activists and a retired SC judge demanding a court-monitored probe into what could be one of Karnataka&rsquo;s most disturbing crimes involving women, girls, and destitute men.
The SIT has yet to release an official statement on its findings.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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SIT set to finish excavation at final 3 suspected burial sites in Karnataka’s temple town

Mass Grave Probe Nears End in Dharmasthala

SIT set to finish excavation at final 3 suspected burial sites in Karnataka’s temple town

August 4, 2025 | 20:14 IST