Mangaluru: In a major development related to the probe into the mass graves at a famous Hindu pilgrimage centre in Karnataka’s Mangaluru district, advocate Manjunath. N on Wednesday claimed that sources revealed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials have recovered a torn red blouse and PAN card of a female person at the first burial site.
Manjunath N. represents Sujata Bhat, whose daughter, Ananya Bhat, a medical student, went missing in the Dharmasthala region under suspicious circumstances.
However, no official statement has been made by the SIT yet.
The SIT sleuths have continued digging at the burial sites numbers 2, 3, and 4 on Wednesday.
The SIT Chief and Director General of Police, Pronab Mohanty, was to visit the Mangaluru district on Wednesday to monitor the excavation and investigation into the mass burial case.
He is likely to issue a statement regarding the progress in the case.
Importantly, Manjunath’s statement said that the PAN card found at site number one bears the name of Lakshmi.
The development has assumed significance as news of nothing being found in the first burial site excavation was doing the rounds.
Manjunath, who is supporting the whistleblower in the case, issued a press statement to commend the SIT’s professional and thorough approach at burial site number one.
“We have taken note of sources confirming the recovery of a torn red blouse, a PAN card, and an ATM card at a depth of nearly 2.5 feet at site No.1 yesterday. Immediately after this development, the SIT’s subsequent actions deserve commendation,” the statement said.
“The decision of the SIT to continue the arduous and physically demanding task of excavating the site down to a depth of 10 feet showcases professional commitment. This act reflects a determination to conduct an exhaustive search and ensure that no piece of evidence, however small, is overlooked,” it said.
“The recovery of identifiable items like a PAN card and an ATM card (one of which bore a male name and the other, a female name Lakshmi) provides an avenue for further enquiry, and we trust the SIT will pursue these vital leads with the utmost urgency,” Manjunath said in the statement.
“The seriousness and rigour demonstrated by the SIT have given us renewed hope. We continue to place our full faith in their work as they proceed to the remaining sites,” he added.
The SIT probing the mass grave allegations at a prominent Hindu pilgrimage centre in Mangaluru district is excavating three burial sites on Wednesday.
Considering the sensitivity of the matter, the authorities have decided to expedite the process and have formed three teams to oversee the excavation.
These three burial sites are among the total of 13 burial sites identified by the whistleblower in the case.
On Tuesday, the SIT sleuths excavated the first burial location near the Nethravathi bathing point.
Authorities dug the site to a depth of eight feet and a width of 15 feet. However, sources confirmed that no skeletons or skulls were recovered from the spot.
The site was subsequently refilled.
The complainant claims he had dug trenches about 3 to 3.5 feet deep to bury the bodies, and alleged that the bodies of the women he buried showed clear signs of sexual assault.
They were found without clothes or undergarments and bore injuries suggesting violent acts.
The revelations have shocked the state.
A retired Supreme Court judge and activists demanded that the SIT probe be monitored by the Supreme Court or the High Court to uncover the truth of the alleged Dharmasthala murders of many women and others.
(IANS)
