Dharmasthala case: SIT to be aided by 20 police officers

Bengaluru, Jul 23 (PTI) The four-member SIT probing the allegations of missing women, rape and murder of girls in Dharmasthala town of Dakshina Kannada district will be aided by 20 police officers of different ranks, from Superintendent of Police to head constables.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed on July 19 to investigate grave allegations of multiple murders, sexual assaults, and cases of missing women in the Dharmasthala region of Dakshina Kannada district spanning the past two decades, an order issued by DGP M A Saleem said.

It is headed by Pranav Mohanty, Director General of Police, Internal Security Division.

Other members include Additional Commissioner of Police (Recruitment) M N Anucheth, Deputy Commissioner of Police (CAR Headquarters) Soumya Latha, and Superintendent of Police (Internal Security Division) Jitendra Kumar Dayama.

According to the order issued on Tuesday, the SIT will have C A Simon, an SP rank officer, two Deputy Superintendents of Police, five police inspectors, seven sub-inspectors, one assistant sub-inspector and four head constables.

The Karnataka government formed the SIT on Monday following growing demand from various quarters to investigate the claim of a civic worker that he has buried hundreds of bodies of girls and young women in Dharmasthala. PTI GMS GMS ROH