New Delhi: In a dramatic turn in the Dharmasthala case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested a former sanitation worker who had alleged he was coerced into burying multiple murder victims over several years. The man has been remanded to 10 days of police custody.
Officials said the arrest was made after inconsistencies were detected in his statements and documents. SIT chief Pranab Mohanty confirmed the complainant was questioned extensively on Friday before being taken into custody.
Home Minister G Parameshwara, addressing reporters in Udupi, said, “The SIT has arrested the complainant witness, and he is in police custody. Since the investigation is in progress, more details cannot be disclosed until the SIT submits its final report.”
On opposition allegations of a “conspiracy” against Dharmasthala, the minister said, “They will say so, and they will continue to do so. But we cannot conclude anything on the basis of statements and comments.”
The complainant, who worked in the temple town between 1995 and 2014, had earlier claimed he was forced to dispose of bodies linked to criminal activities. He said he revisited one of the burial sites and recovered skeletal remains, even submitting photographs to authorities. On July 4, a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered, a day after he filed the complaint with local police.
He had also requested legal protection for himself and his family, with his lawyer stating sketches of the alleged victims would be submitted to court later.
Dakshina Kannada SP Arun K had said the complainant expressed willingness to reveal burial locations and perpetrators, but police have yet to verify the authenticity of the remains.
Earlier this month, SIT investigators unearthed 15 suspected human bones from a forested patch near the Netravathi river. Preliminary forensic reports suggested the remains belonged to a man, but officials emphasized confirmation could only come after detailed analysis.
The SIT also found a PAN card and debit card at one burial site, later traced to a man named Suresh from Nelamangala, who died of jaundice earlier this year and was cremated in his village. Officials said he may have lost the card during a past visit to Dharmasthala, adding to the complexities of the case.
The investigation is ongoing.
