Bangle Gudde is a dense forest area, not a burial ground: SIT probe finds

Bengaluru 

Bangle Gudde, a hillock in Dharmasthala village where skeletal remains were discovered during mahajars, is a dense forest area and not a burial ground, according to findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the mass burial case.

A highly placed source in the Home Ministry told blrpost.com: “This area, where skeletal remains of seven individuals were found, was never used by the panchayat as a burial ground, even when the village did not have a designated cemetery. It is deep forest land that comes under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department, not the Revenue Department.” The remains were discovered when the SIT conducted mahajars at two different locations, guided by Vittal Gowda, who had picked up a skull from the area.

Some claims on social media suggesting the site was a burial ground are false. The area has now been cordoned off and placed under guard. The SIT will decide on further exhumation after responding to a Karnataka High Court notice. On Monday, the High Court issued notice to the SIT on a petition seeking inclusion of witnesses Purandara Gowda and Tukarram Gowda to identify burial sites allegedly linked to accused Chinnayya, the source said.

The SIT has been studying the geography, history, and other aspects of the hillock. The source clarified that the probe has ruled out the possibility of it being a burial site, adding that those making such claims must provide proof. Reports that the SIT had asked the Forest Department to conduct a tree survey were also dismissed as fake news. “The SIT has not instructed the Forest Department to conduct any tree survey. The SIT already has a map of the hillock,” the source noted.

Meanwhile, the SIT is probing the possibility of a black magic angle and is gathering information on witchcraft practices, as the hillock may have been used for such activities. Separately, the Belthangady court rejected the bail plea of Chinnayya, who was arrested on August 23. The SIT has questioned several individuals, including Vittal Gowda, Girish Mattannavar, Manaf, and Abhishek. The statement of witness Pradeep Gowda has been recorded under Section 183 of the BNSS.

It may be recalled that the SIT was constituted on July 19 after Chinnayya filed a complaint at Dharmasthala police station, alleging he had been forced to bury bodies illegally. He later repeated this statement before a magistrate. Following this, the SIT carried out exhumations for two weeks, recovering skeletal remains of two individuals. Chinnayya later retracted his statement and was booked for perjury and forgery.