Following prolonged inquiry on Friday (August 23, 2025), the Special Investigation Team (SIT), investigating the Dharmasthala mass burial case, has arrested the complainant, a 50-year-old sanitation worker, after protection granted to him under Witness Protection Scheme was withdrawn.
SIT sources said he has been arrested for perjury. While giving voluntary statement on oath before magistrate in Belthangady on July 11, the complainant has produced skull and few bones and stated it was of a woman who had been sexually assaulted.
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The forensic reports of the skull and bones secured by the SIT showed that skeletal remains was that of a male. Hence complainant was booked for perjury, the SIT sources said.
The SIT arrested complainant on Saturday (August 23, 2025) morning and was taken in a vehicle for production before the jurisdictional court in Belthangady. The protection given to the complainant by the committee headed by Principal District and Session Judge, Dakshina Kannada, was withdrawn on Friday (August 22, 2025) night.
The SIT team inquired the sanitation worker since Friday (August 23, 2025) morning. This inquiry preceded questioning of sanitation workers who had worked with complainant in the period between 1995 and 2014. The SIT had also questioned healthcare personnel, including Head of Department of Forensic Science, K.S. Hegde Medical College, Mahabalesh Shetty, who had performed autopsy of around 70 decomposed bodies in the period and buried in presence of police in Banglagudde area of Dharmasthala.
It was on July 2 that the complainant, from Kollegal, filed the complaint saying that over 100 bodies, including those of sexual assault and murder victims, were buried by him under pressure of ‘powerful people’ in the period.
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On July 11, he appeared before the magistrate court wherein his voluntary statement under Section 183 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was recorded. The Dharmasthala police seized the skeletal remains and applied to the court for brain mapping, narco analysis of the complainant.
Meanwhile the State government on July 19 formed SIT headed by Director General of Police Pronab Mohanty to enquire the allegations. The SIT excavated 17 sites in Banglagudde, near Bahubali Gudda, and few other places. Excavation was done at site no.13 near vented dam using ground penetrating radar where complainant had claimed of burying more bodies. Partial skeletal remains of a male were found in site no. 6. Skeletal remains of a male, who was suspected of suicide, was found above the ground near site no.14.
