Dharmasthala Mass Burial Case: Why Did Karnataka Government Reverse Its Stand on SIT?

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara initially ruled out an SIT in the Dharmasthala double murder case, calling it premature. He later reversed his stance, citing public outcry.

Bengaluru: In a puzzling turn of events, Karnataka government has decided to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Dharmasthala mass burial case. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had dismissed the staggering allegations as just a claim and asked whether a ‘cowshed can be built only after a calf is born’. Home Minister G Parameshwara also said there was no need for the formation of an SIT, only to change it later. He attributed the decision to public outcry, raising concerns about the sincerity of investigation. 

While the Chief Minister and Home Minister had initially dismissed the need for an SIT, citing the preliminary nature of the investigation, mounting pressure from multiple quarters—including a formal appeal by the Karnataka State Women’s Commission (KSWC), a letter from public-interest lawyers, and growing public concern—appears to have prompted the government to reconsider.

“The government has constituted an SIT to look into the Dharmasthala issues. There has been a complaint. There has been a public hue and cry. The government has taken note of all this and then constituted an SIT to look into this entire thing...If somebody is thinking of creating some political issue out of this at this point of time, I don't want to react to all that,” Parameshwara told reporters.

Earlier, the minister had questioned the practicality of setting up an SIT, saying that the investigation was at an early stage. "How is it feasible to form an SIT when the investigation is still in its preliminary stages? If that's the case, why do we even have a police department?" Parameshwara had asked. The Karnataka Government had issued an order to constitute a SIT to probe the matter after a letter from the Karnataka State Women's Commission (KSWC).

In their letter, the KSWC cited a media report which consisted of a statement from a person who had claimed that bodies were buried in the past 20 years in the region. The government order said that it was found appropriate to form a Special Investigation Team to investigate the cases registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS) at the Dharmasthala police station. Earlier on July 16, a group of concerned public-interest lawyers met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Chief Minister's Residence "Krishna" to urgently request the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged incidents of mass murder, mass rape, and mass burial at Dharmasthala. The advocates apprised the Chief Minister of the grave factual matrix surrounding these widely reported incidents.

CPI Leader seeks NIA probe 

Meanwhile, CPI leader and Rajya Sabha MP P. Sandosh Kumar had urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to order a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the alleged pattern of crimes and concealment in Dharmasthala. In his letter, Kumar highlighted growing concerns over what he described as a systematic pattern of violence—especially against women—that has long been masked as isolated incidents.

Emphasizing Dharmasthala's spiritual significance, Kumar said the town’s sanctity must be preserved through truth and justice, not just tradition. He called for urgent intervention, stating that a place revered by millions should not remain shrouded in fear, suspicion, and unanswered questions.

A complaint from a former sanitation worker at a Dharmasthala temple sent shockwaves across the state after it revealed alleged secret disposal of multiple bodies in the village of Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka.

According to the complaint filed at the Superintendent of Police's (SP) office, the individual claims to have been involved in the disposal of several bodies under threat. Overwhelmed by guilt, the whistleblower has now come forward, offering to share detailed information about those involved and the specific locations where the bodies were disposed of, conditional upon assurance of safety.

The complaint was formally registered at the office of the Superintendent of Police and the Dharmasthala Police Station. Following due process and obtaining necessary court permission, a case was registered on July 4, under Section 211(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The matter is currently under investigation, and further action will be determined based on the findings.