Dharmasthala horror: Karnataka Govt. forms SIT headed by IPS Pronab Mohanty to probe mass grave case

Bengaluru

After coming under massive pressure, the Karnataka government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IPS officer Pranob Mohanty to investigate allegations of mass burials in temple town Dharmasthala. Unlike other SITs the Karnataka government this time picked a top notch IPS officer to head the team. 

This decision follows troubling testimonies of a complainant and media reports related to burying dead bodies, mostly women at Dharmasthala and surrounding areas. The SIT headed by Mohanty is composed of IPS officers M N Anucheth, Sowmyalatha and Jitendra Kumar Dayama. The government has picked ace officers to probe into the allegations

The case gained momentum after  the Karnataka State Women Commission wrote a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah  about the serious allegations, demanding formation of SIT specifically headed by Mohanty.

The commission wrote a letter to the CM after a  former sanitation worker at Dharmasthala filed a complaint at Dharmasthala police station on July 3. In the FIR it was alleged that he was forced to bury hundreds of bodies by certain influential persons attached to Dharmasthala Temple Administration. 

He claimed these activities occurred with the tacit support of some local police personnel. Following these revelations, the government has taken steps to conduct a thorough and impartial probe.

The government has directed the SIT to carry out the investigation fairly and submit a detailed report. The move marks a significant step toward accountability in long-standing allegations involving a powerful institution.