Dharmasthala burial case: BJP plans protests, Shivakumar speaks of conspiracy
What's the story
The Dharmasthala burial case in Karnataka has taken a political turn as no major discoveries have been made after digging 17 sites. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Congress-led state government of "hurting religious sentiments" and is planning protests in Dharmasthala. In response, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has mentioned a conspiracy to "tarnish" Dharmasthala's image and assured support for its administrators.
Case details
Case initiated on basis of whistleblower's statement
The case began when a former sanitation worker at Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala temple claimed to have buried bodies between 1995 and 2014. He alleged these were victims of sexual harassment and murder. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe the allegations, with Director General of Police Pronab Mohanty leading it. The whistleblower had submitted partial skeletal remains in court, claiming they were from bodies he buried years ago.
Unresolved cases
Only 1 site has yielded skeletal remains
So far, only one site has yielded partial human skeletal remains—14 bones from site number six. The forensic analysis is yet to confirm if these remains belong to a murder victim. At site 13, the complainant had claimed a mass grave with 60-100 bodies was buried over 16 feet deep, but no remains were found during excavation. Site 14 yielded another set of skeletal remains suspected to be from a recent suicide case.
Ongoing probe
BJP accuses Congress government of hurting religious sentiments
The BJP has accused the Congress government of hurting religious sentiments, with plans for protests in Dharmasthala. Shivakumar has mentioned a conspiracy to tarnish Dharmasthala's image. Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said action would be taken if the complainant's claims are proven false. The SIT is likely to dig a few more spots based on the complainant's statements and probe other cases linked to missing persons reported by family members.