Latest news with #Jayanth
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Dharmasthala mass burial case: Skeletal remains found in Banglegudde near point 11
MANGALURU: The Special Investigating Team (SIT) probing the alleged Dharmasthala mass burial case, reportedly found skeletal remains in Banglegudde hillock area in Belthangady taluk on Monday. The remains were found a few metres away from point 11 site, which the complainant-witness had identified last week. However, SIT officials are yet to officially confirm the findings. On the sixth day of the exhumation process, SIT officials, the complainant-witness, his advocates, labourers, the Puttur assistant commissioner, the forensic team, and Scene of Crime Officers (SoCOs) began arriving at the site around 11am. The SIT was initially expected to continue the search at point 11 located near the road connecting Dharmasthala and Ujire. However, the team diverted their operation into a nearby forest area. The complainant- witness reportedly requested the SIT to conduct searches at a place away from point 11. Earlier in the day, labourers were seen tying shade nets to block the view for outsiders. Suspicion of another discovery of skeletal remains arose when labourers were seen carrying bags of salt, commonly used in forensic exhumations to preserve remains. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Discover the AI-powered language app that's changing how everyone learns Talkpal AI Undo SP Jitendra Dayama led the operations with tight security being deployed in the area. As of Saturday, the SIT searched 10 of the 13 points identified last week, based on the complainant-witness's claims of alleged burial sites. Skeletal remains were previously found at point 6 during searches last week. Monday's operation concluded around 6.30pm. Complaint accepted Jayanth, a resident of Ichlampady, had on Saturday approached the SIT, claiming to provide details in connection with the murder of a minor girl nearly 15 years ago. He was asked to return on Monday. According to Dakshina Kannada district police, Jayanth approached the SIT office in Belthangady to file a complaint related to the alleged incident that had taken place in Dharmasthala. After reviewing the complaint, the officials directed him to file it at the Dharmasthala police station. Accordingly, a complaint was submitted at Dharmasthala police station under 200/DPS/2025. Further action will be taken based on the complaint. Jayanth was reportedly active in the "Justice for Sowjanya" campaign.
India.com
7 days ago
- India.com
Dharmasthala Mass Graves Case: SIT Completes 6th Day Of Excavation; Multiple Bones And One Skull Found, Says Report
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), on Monday, completed the sixth day of excavation at the marked burial sites in a Hindu pilgrimage centre in Mangaluru district of Karnataka, sources said. Sources said that multiple bones and a skull were recovered at the site. According to sources, shortly after the commencement of digging at marked burial site number 11, the unidentified complainant-cum-whistleblower led authorities to a different nearby location. Excavation at this new site reportedly led to the discovery of several bones and a skull. Staff members carrying boxes, buckets, and pipes out of the forest by the end of the day indicated that the SIT had found human remains. The authorities' decision to work for hours without taking a lunch break further suggested significant findings. Additionally, workers were seen carrying a sack of salt uphill into the forest, reinforcing the belief that multiple bones had been discovered. However, no official statement has been issued yet in connection with the findings. Authorities are hopeful of completing excavation at all 13 marked burial sites. It remains unconfirmed whether the work at burial site number 11 has been concluded. This development could mark a major turning point in the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, T. Jayanth, a social activist and resident of Ichilampadi village in Mangaluru district, lodged a complaint with the SIT on Monday, alleging that a police officer had buried the body of a minor girl without following legal procedures. In his complaint, Jayanth said, "During 2002 or 2003, the police received information about the murder of a girl aged between 13 and 15, whose body had been dumped in a forest area near the roadside along state highway number 37. The police officer visited the spot after a week, took a photograph, and buried the body in a trench about one to two feet deep. No legal procedures were followed, and no case was registered." He also added, "I was an eyewitness to the incident. Out of fear and shock, I did not inform anyone at the time. I now have faith in the SIT and am lodging this complaint. There are others who also witnessed the incident, and I am willing to produce them if necessary." After receiving the complaint, the SIT directed Jayanth to file a formal complaint at the jurisdictional police station, and said that further action would be taken as per the directions of the Director General and Inspector General of Police, M.A. Saleem. Earlier, SIT Chief Pronab Mohanty had said that no significant material had been recovered from the previously excavated sites. However, reports later surfaced indicating that a red, torn blouse and a PAN card belonging to a woman named Lakshmi were recovered from the first burial site. In addition, the whistleblower reportedly submitted a skull -- allegedly recovered from one of the burial sites -- to the SIT. In a major development on July 11, the unidentified complainant, who claimed he had been forced to bury the bodies of women and girls who were raped and murdered in Dharmasthala village, appeared before a court in Mangaluru district and recorded his statement. He requested that the bodies be exhumed in his presence and alleged that the victims bore clear signs of sexual assault. According to him, the bodies were found without clothing or undergarments and had injuries consistent with violent sexual abuse. These revelations have sent shockwaves across Karnataka. Following the claims, a retired Supreme Court judge and several activists have demanded a Supreme Court- or High Court-monitored SIT probe into the alleged Dharmasthala murders, which may involve the deaths of multiple women, girls, and destitute men.
Hans India
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Eyewitness Files Complaint Over Illegal Burial Practices As Police Records Destruction Sparks Mass Burial Investigation
Fresh controversy has erupted in Karnataka's Belthangady district following startling revelations about the systematic destruction of police death records and new eyewitness testimony of illegal burial practices. An RTI activist has now filed a formal complaint with the Special Investigation Team, claiming to have personally witnessed the improper burial of a young girl's body, describing the incident as treating her remains "like one would bury a dog." The development comes after Right to Information documents revealed that Belthangady police deliberately deleted all entries from their Unnatural Death Register covering the period from 2000 to 2015. This timeframe coincides directly with allegations of mass burials in the temple town of Dharmasthala, located within the same administrative jurisdiction. RTI activist Jayanth, who has been investigating police conduct for years, submitted his complaint to the SIT on August 2nd. He claims to have witnessed the illegal burial firsthand and has named all officials who were present during the incident. According to Jayanth, proper legal procedures were completely ignored when the young girl's body was discovered and buried. The activist explained that his decision to come forward was motivated by the appointment of what he considers honest officers to the investigation. He stated that the disturbing scene had haunted him for years, and he had previously promised to reveal the truth once trustworthy investigators took charge of the case. In his earlier RTI requests to Belthangady Police Station, Jayanth had sought records of missing persons complaints along with accompanying photographs. The police response was deeply concerning - they claimed that all such documentation, including postmortem reports, wall posters, notices, and photographs used to identify unidentified bodies, had been destroyed under routine administrative procedures. The activist has raised critical questions about the destruction of such vital records in the digital age. He argues that in today's technological environment, it is inconceivable that such important data would be destroyed without first being digitized and backed up. This raises serious concerns about who might be influencing such decisions and what they might be trying to conceal. The implications of this record destruction are particularly troubling when considering future identification efforts. If skeletal remains are discovered, authorities would be unable to match them against any existing records since the relevant documentation has been eliminated. This systematic erasure of evidence suggests a deliberate attempt to obstruct potential investigations. The Belthangady Police's admission of destroying crucial records has intensified scrutiny of their handling of unidentified death cases. The destroyed documents covered the exact period during which a whistleblower has alleged that mass burials occurred in Dharmasthala. According to these allegations, between 1998 and 2014, the whistleblower was forced to bury and cremate bodies of women and minors, many of whom allegedly showed signs of sexual assault. The police's justification for destroying these records as part of "routine administrative orders" has been met with skepticism and outrage. Critics argue that such sensitive documentation should be preserved indefinitely, particularly given the serious nature of unidentified death cases and the potential for future investigations. The SIT is expected to register a formal FIR based on Jayanth's complaint and may soon initiate exhumation proceedings to investigate the alleged illegal burials. This development marks a significant escalation in what has become one of Karnataka's most controversial cases involving alleged systematic cover-ups and destruction of evidence. The case has broader implications for police accountability and record-keeping practices across the state. It raises fundamental questions about how law enforcement agencies handle sensitive cases involving unidentified deaths and what safeguards exist to prevent the destruction of crucial evidence. As the investigation proceeds, public attention remains focused on whether authorities will be able to uncover the truth despite the systematic destruction of records. The case highlights the critical importance of RTI activism in exposing potential misconduct and the need for transparent, accountable policing practices in handling sensitive criminal matters.
India Today
03-08-2025
- Politics
- India Today
They buried her like a dog: New testimonies in Dharmasthala mass burial case
Shocking revelations in Karnataka's Belthangady have reignited public outrage over alleged mass burials, following India Today's exclusive report on the systematic deletion of police records. Right to Information (RTI) documents accessed by India Today show that Belthangady police deleted all entries from the Unnatural Death Register (UDR) between 2000 and 2015, a period that coincides with multiple allegations of unreported and suspicious RTI activist Jayanth has filed a formal complaint with the Special Investigation Team (SIT), claiming to have witnessed the illegal burial of a young girl's body. He alleges that legal protocols were blatantly violated and that several officials were present at the time. The SIT is expected to register an FIR and begin exhumation proceedings who has long used RTI to probe police conduct, said he had earlier requested missing persons data and photographs from the Belthangady Police Station. The police response was chilling: they claimed all such documents, postmortem reports, wall posters, notices, and photographs used to trace unidentified bodies, had been destroyed under "routine administrative orders." Jayanth said, "On August 2, I filed a complaint with the SIT. This complaint is based on an incident I personally witnessed. I named everyone who was present at that time, including officers. When the girl's body was found, all legal procedures were violated. They buried the body like one would bury a dog. That sight has haunted me for years. Two years ago, I had said I would reveal the truth if honest officers ever took over the investigation. Now that moment has come, so I've filed this complaint. No one is behind me or influencing me to do this.""As an RTI activist, I had filed a requisition at the Belthangady Police Station asking for records of all missing persons complaints along with photographs. But in their reply, police claimed that the missing complaint records were destroyed. In today's digital age, how can such data be destroyed without digitising it first?"He added, "If skeletal remains are found, how will the government match them to anyone when they've destroyed the relevant documents? Who are the people behind this? Who is influencing and covering this up? When there are computerised backups, how can they claim to have destroyed everything without backing it up? All of this must be investigated thoroughly."The Belthangady Police in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district have come under sharp criticism after admitting to destroying key records of unidentified death cases registered between 2000 and 2015, a timeframe that overlaps almost entirely with the period during which a whistleblower has alleged mass burials took place in Dharmasthala, a temple town located within the same fresh complaintIn response to a Right to Information (RTI) application, the police stated that postmortem reports, wall posters, notices, and photographs used in efforts to trace the identity of deceased individuals had been destroyed in accordance with routine administrative erasure of these records has triggered deep concern, as the whistleblower claims that between 1998 and 2014, he was forced to bury and cremate the bodies of women and minors, many of whom, he alleges, bore signs of sexual assault.- Ends
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Time of India
KRS dam struggles with safety, sanitation issues amid tourism plans
Mandya: While the Karnataka govt is keen on launching tourism development projects worth hundreds of crores at the iconic Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam, even amid opposition from various organisations, the basic infrastructure at the site tells a different story. The dam, which draws thousands of tourists daily, is plagued by inadequate safety measures and poor sanitation facilities. One of the most critical concerns is the lack of proper fencing. On the right side of the entrance — just before the ticket counter — there is no fencing at all, and on the left, the existing fence is damaged and poorly maintained. This poses a serious safety risk to the large number of visitors, especially during weekends and holidays. Equally concerning is the condition of the public restrooms. The existing facility is not only insufficient for the high footfall but is also unhygienic, leaving many tourists disappointed with the overall experience. Despite the significant revenue generated from tourism at KRS, these basic amenities have been overlooked. While large-scale projects are in the pipeline, tourists and local residents stress that govt should first prioritise essential infrastructure. V Karthick, a tourist from Shivamogga, said, "There is a lot of scope for improvement and development of KRS dam. I hope the authorities, instead of spending money on unwanted and irrelevant projects, spend money on providing basic facilities to tourists, including much-needed restrooms and shelter rooms." Speaking to TOI, Jayanth, executive engineer, Cauvery Neeravari Nigam, which manages the KRS dam, said, "Fencing on both sides will be taken up at the earliest. As for the restroom facilities, we currently offer them free of cost, but we are planning to implement a pay-and-use model similar to what exists at Chamundi Hills to improve hygiene and maintenance." He said though this was initially part of the Cauvery Aarti project, they have now decided to prioritise it and take it up immediately. They are also working on other measures to improve the upkeep of the KRS dam. "Discussions have already been held, and necessary steps will be implemented soon," he said. Until then, however, the disconnect between ambitious tourism plans and on-ground realities continues to cast a shadow over the experience at one of Karnataka's most popular tourist destinations. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
