Fact-check contradicts BJP MLA Suresh Kumar’s claim on Dharmasthala SIT

Bengaluru

BJP MLA Suresh Kumar claimed on the floor of the House that IPS officer M N Anuchet had opted out of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the Dharmasthala mass burial case.

However, a blrpost.com fact-check shows that Anuchet continues to be part of the SIT.

In the Assembly, Rajajinagar MLA Suresh Kumar stated that IPS Anuchet and IPS Sowmyalatha had come out of the SIT. He also claimed that the SIT had not submitted any report to the government.

Official sources in the Home Department, speaking to this website, said, “Kumar’s claims are false. Anuchet is still part of the team, and there are signatures on documents pertaining to the investigation.” The sources further said the MLA was also wrong about Sowmyalatha. “In the team, Sowmyalatha is inactive, but technically she is not out of the team,” the sources added. There are no orders passed to keep these two IPS officers out from the team. 

It should be noted that Anuchet was visibly seen in Dharmasthala during the exhumation operations carried out in July and August, 2025. The officer was also present in the SIT office in Belthangady. This suggests that the BJP MLA failed to verify the information before making it public in the Assembly on Friday (January 30).

Regarding the claim that the SIT had not submitted any report to the government, official sources said the SIT had already submitted a complaint report to the Belthangady court and that no report would be submitted to the government. Any investigating body or police station submits its report to the courts, not to the government.

Home Department sources said the SIT has continued its investigation into seven skulls and 1,000 bones discovered at Bangle Gudde, indicating that the probe is still underway. The complaint report pertains only to accused C N Chinnayya’s claims and the role of Sowjanya activists.

It may be recalled that the State government formed the SIT on July 19, 2025, after Chinnayya filed a complaint about alleged mass burials at Dharmasthala police station on July 3 and recorded his statement under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) on July 11. The SIT began exhumation operations and found two skeletal remains.

After Chinnayya later claimed that his statements were false, the SIT arrested him on August 23. The complainant turned accused. On his insistence, another set of Section 183 statements was recorded as a counter to the first on September 23, 25, and 27. He secured conditional bail on November 25.