The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday began exhumation work near the Dharmasthala bathing ghat in connection with the ongoing probe into the mass burial case that has gripped Karnataka. The digging operation, carried out under tight security, started at one of the 13 locations marked by the complainant-witness.
Despite several hours of intensive excavation, no human remains were recovered on the first day. The team dug a pit about eight feet deep and 15 feet wide, but heavy rain, groundwater seepage, and challenging terrain slowed the process significantly.
A dog squad was deployed to the area ahead of the digging. The operation was led by SIT officials, assisted by forensic experts and Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO), under the supervision of Puttur Assistant Commissioner Stella Varghese. The digging was halted late evening and is set to resume on Wednesday.
Before starting the operation, a strategic meeting was held at the SIT office in Belthangady, chaired by DIG MN Anucheth. At around noon, over 10 labourers equipped with shovels and pickaxes reached the site with SIT officers and forensic teams. The complainant-witness, with his face covered, arrived alongside a team of advocates.
Manual excavation lasted for over two hours and reached three feet in depth. However, due to the proximity of the site to the Netravathi River just 10 metres away groundwater started flooding the pit. DIG Anucheth later inspected the area and approved the use of a mini earthmover to dig deeper. The machine-assisted digging continued till about 6 pm.
Before wrapping up the day’s work, SIT officials consulted the complainant-witness and his legal team. Their consent was obtained before closing the pit temporarily. During the dig, some pieces of cloth were found, but no other material of forensic significance was recovered, according to SIT sources.
“The area is densely covered with weeds and shrubs, and constant rainfall made the task extremely difficult,” said an officer. “The soil was sandy and waterlogged, complicating manual efforts.”
Present on site were senior officers including SPS Jitendra Kumar Dayama, Simon C A, and Belthangady Tahsildar Prithvi Sanikam. The entire operation was recorded for documentation purposes.
To maintain security and prevent interference, personnel from the Garuda Force, Special Action Force, and Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) were deployed throughout the area.
SIT sources confirmed that only one of the identified spots was excavated on Tuesday. Another location marked by the complainant-witness will be dug on Wednesday. The search continues as 13 geo-tagged spots along the Netravathi riverbank remain under investigation, all of which were secured overnight by armed police.
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