Siddaramaiah slams mob attack as SIT continues probe at Dharmasthala

Hindustan Times

19 hours ago

Bengaluru: A violent clash between two groups near Dharmasthala on Wednesday evening has prompted strong reactions from the state's top political leadership, even as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) continues its probe into allegations of mass burials and sexual assault spanning two decades. Workers leave from a site of an alleged burial related to the Dharmasthala mass burial case, at Dharmasthala, in Dakshina Kannada district. (PTI PHOTO)
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday assured action in against those responsible for the violence. 'Whoever has committed a crime, action will be taken in accordance with law,' he said.
The incident occurred at Pangal Cross, not far from the home of a college student who was raped and found dead in Dharmasthala in 2012. Four individuals, including a cameraperson and three men associated with YouTube channels, were attacked by a mob while interviewing a local resident in connection with the SIT probe. Police said the situation quickly escalated and the mob started pelting stones, forcing them to intervene with a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd.
Later that night, one of the groups staged a protest outside the Dharmasthala police station, demanding action be taken against those maligning the reputation of the town.
Due to tension over the clash, the SIT didn't conduct any searches on Thursday. The searches are expected to continue after adequate security is deployed, police officers said.
Home minister G Parameshwara acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. 'There seems to be some kind of conflict there. Why is it happening? We don't know,' he said. He added that complaints and counter complaints had been filed and that police had been instructed to investigate the cause of the clashes, identify those responsible and submit a detailed report.
Parameshwara also outlined the scope and progress of the SIT probe. The government had formed the team following public pressure and judicial directions, after a man claiming to be a former sanitation worker alleged that he had been forced to bury multiple bodies—some allegedly showing signs of sexual assault -- between 1995 and 2014 in Dharmasthala.This individual's statement was recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC, lending legal weight to his claims. Based on his inputs, the SIT has identified and carried out exhumations at 13 sites.
'So far, skeletal remains of a male were discovered at the sixth location and it has already been reported in the media. Nothing was found at other locations, except for some remains near a hill. All those remains have been sent to FSL by the SIT,' the home minister said.
Responding to questions about inflammatory comments and misinformation surrounding the case, Parameshwara said, 'What comments others make is not important. What is important is that the SIT has to conduct a probe technically and they are doing their job.'
The Supreme Court will hear a plea challenging a recent order of the Karnataka high court quashing a media gag on reportage surrounding the controversial Dharmasthala mass burial case, on Friday.
The high court on August 1 set aside an earlier gag order by a Bengaluru civil court restraining reportage on the case.
'Around 8,000 YouTube channels are running defamatory material against the Dharmasthala temple,' an advocate submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai and sought urgent listing of an appeal against the high court order.
(With PTI inputs)