No skeletal remains found at two excavation sites in Dharmasthala

Dharmasthala (Karnataka): No skeletal remains were found on Friday at two sites in Dharmasthala identified by an anonymous complainant-witness as mass burial sites, police said.

A day after skeletal remains were recovered from the sixth of 15 locations marked by the complainant, excavation was carried out under tight security at the seventh and eighth spots, located near the Nethravathi riverbank.

However, the forensic and police teams reportedly found no human remains or signs of burial activity at these sites.

According to police, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has intensified its operations, deploying additional personnel, excavation workers, and heavy machinery to dig at the identified locations.

Further verification of other sites is expected in the coming days.

So far, skeletal remains have been recovered from only one location—the sixth—which is currently undergoing forensic examination.

Forensic experts in Mangaluru noted that determining the cause of death or confirming any criminal intent would require a complete or near-complete human skeleton.

Partial remains or isolated bones may not provide sufficient evidence for legal conclusions, police said.

Meanwhile, officials from the Dharmasthala Grama Panchayat clarified that over 200 unclaimed or unidentified bodies have been buried in various parts of the village since 1995.

In the absence of a formal burial ground, such burials reportedly took place along riverbanks, forest fringes, and government land, following legal procedures when cremation was not feasible.

Police officials said the investigation is being conducted based on documentary evidence and field-level inputs. Further action will depend on the outcome of the forensic analysis.

Following the recovery of skeletal remains at Site No 6, the SIT has stepped up security at all excavation sites to ensure potential evidence is neither lost nor tampered with.

The SIT was constituted by the state government after allegations of mass murder, sexual assault, and illegal burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.

The complainant, a former sanitation worker whose identity has not been disclosed, claimed to have worked in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014. He alleged that he was forced to bury multiple bodies—including those of women and minors—some of which bore signs of sexual assault. He has since recorded his statement before a magistrate.