Exclusive: SIT close to establishing identity of skull found at Banglegudde

Bengaluru/Mangaluru

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Dharmasthala mass burial case is reportedly on the verge of establishing the identity of a human skull recovered from the Banglegudde area in Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, the skull was allegedly collected by a Soujanya activist Vittal Gowda. After retrieving it from the Banglegudde area, Gowda is said to have handed it over to complainant-turned-accused C.N. Chinnaiah. 

It was during the mahazar conducted in connection with Gowda that the SIT first discovered the presence of multiple skulls and skeletal remains in the locality where this skull was picked up.

It may be recalled that the SIT had carried out an extensive search operation in Banglegudde in September 2025, during which investigators recovered seven to eight human skulls along with more than 1,000 bones believed to be part of skeletal remains. The remains have since been sent to forensic laboratories in batches for detailed scientific examination.

During the search, investigators also reportedly recovered identity cards belonging to two individuals identified as Adishesha Narayana (27) and U.B. Ayappa (70). The cards were found in close proximity to the skeletal remains, raising suspicions that the remains could be linked to persons who had gone missing from the Dharmasthala region.

A highly placed source in the Karnataka Home Department told blrpost.com that DNA samples have been collected from families of several missing persons in order to compare them with the skeletal remains recovered from the area.

“The families of individuals who had gone missing from the Dharmasthala region have provided Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) samples. These samples are being matched with the skeletal remains recovered from Banglegudde and nearby areas,” the source said.

According to preliminary forensic findings, the skull in question is believed to belong to a human male. Officials said DNA analysis is expected to establish the identity of the individual by matching the genetic material with samples collected from relatives of missing persons.

Sources added that investigators are hopeful that the identity of the skull could be determined soon through the ongoing DNA comparison process. Establishing the identity of the remains is expected to provide a crucial breakthrough in the larger investigation into the suspected mass burial site.

The SIT has been sending the recovered bones and skeletal fragments to forensic laboratories in Madiwala, Bengaluru, in batches for scientific analysis. Officials said the process of DNA extraction, matching and confirmation is slow and requires meticulous examination, given the condition and age of the remains.

Meanwhile, the investigative team has also collected DNA samples from the families of individuals identified as Ayappa and Adishesha Narayana to determine whether the recovered remains match their missing relatives.

While the SIT continues its probe into the case, the matter has also reached the judiciary. Kusumavathi, the mother of rape and murder victim Soujanya, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Karnataka High Court seeking a broader investigation.

In her petition, she has urged the court to direct the SIT and the State government to investigate the deaths of 74 individuals whose bodies were allegedly buried on the same day they were found. The petition has raised serious concerns about possible irregularities in the handling of deaths and burials in the region.