Mangaluru (Karnataka): The complainant, who had alleged there were multiple murders, rapes and burials in Dharmasthala over a period of the past two decades, was arrested on Saturday by the SIT formed to investigate these charges, official sources said.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) and its chief, Pranab Mohanty, have questioned the complainant—whose name is not revealed—on Friday till late hours.
Officials said the arrest was made after inconsistencies were found in the statements and documents provided. The SIT is continuing its probe into the matter. The complainant-witness was taken to a hospital for medical examination after long hours of questioning.
The complainant-witness, a former sanitation worker, has claimed that he worked in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014, and that he was forced to bury several bodies, including those of women and minors, in Dharmasthala.
He had alleged that some of the bodies showed signs of sexual assault. He has also stated before a magistrate in this regard.
As part of the probe, the SIT had been conducting excavations at multiple locations identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains were found at two sites so far.
Reacting to the development, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that the government has maintained that action will be taken against those who are wrong about the complaint of “multiple murders, rapes and burials” over the past two decades in Dharmasthala.
He said the probe is on in the case, and the government is on the side of “justice”.
“BJP people had not spoken anything, they are fence sitters, after I spoke on the issue (calling it a conspiracy) they are speaking,” Shivakumar said.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said, those from the family heading Dharmasthala’s temple and institutions have welcomed the probe. They had met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and had appreciated the decision.
“Investigation is going on. Our government, Home Minister (G Parameshwara) and Chief Minister, had told the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting and in the Assembly that action will be taken against those who have done wrong. We are not in favour of anyone. We are in favour of justice. We don’t want politics to be played in religion,” he added.
Shivakumar had recently alleged “conspiracy” to tarnish Dharmasthala’s image, and had expressed confidence that the truth would come to light through the ongoing investigation.
Opposition BJP has been critical of the government’s handling of the investigation and its inaction against what they called a “slender campaign” targeting Dharmasthala and the temple there.
They had recently demanded an interim report from the government on the probe, and action against the complainant and others allegedly behind him, claiming the allegations were part of a “toolkit to denigrate Hindu gods and their places of worship.”
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had recently told the assembly that action can be taken under the law against the complainant-witness if the SIT finds his allegations to be false.
Stating that till now only excavations have happened, had also said that the probe “hasn’t even started”, and that only the SIT probing the matter, not the government, would decide on the need for further digging.
