In a major development in the ongoing investigation into alleged mass burials in Karnataka’s temple town of Dharmasthala, forensic teams have discovered partial skeletal remains at site number 6—making it the first site to yield such evidence. According to police sources, the remains are believed to be that of a male.
The discovery was made during the exhumation process conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing shocking allegations made by a former sanitation worker. The whistleblower claims that he was forced to bury and cremate the bodies of women and minors—many allegedly showing signs of sexual assault—between 1998 and 2014.
The forensic team at the scene has now secured the skeletal remains for a detailed examination to determine their age, sex, origin, and possible cause of death. Experts say these findings could be key in either substantiating or disproving the whistleblower’s explosive claims.
Earlier this week, the SIT began excavation at multiple sites identified by the whistleblower. The first five sites, including one along the Nethravathi River, were dug up in the presence of forensic experts and revenue officials but yielded no human remains. Water seepage had complicated efforts at the first location, prompting deeper digging using heavy machinery.
According to the SIT, the whistleblower identified 15 locations as possible mass burial or cremation sites. Eight of these are located along the banks of the Nethravathi River. Sites 9 to 12 are situated beside the highway near the river. The 13th is on the road connecting Nethravathi to Aajukuri, and the remaining two sites lie in the Kanyadi area near the highway.
The breakthrough at site 6 offers a potential turning point in what has become one of Karnataka’s most disturbing and sensitive investigations in recent memory. Officials emphasized that the probe will now focus on forensic validation of the remains to determine whether they align with the whistleblower’s accounts.
More excavations and analyses are expected to follow in the coming days as public attention on the case continues to intensify.
