Dharmasthala mass burial case: Skeletal remains found at sixth site

India Today

Partial human skeletal remains were found at the sixth burial site during the exhuming process on July 31.

Transcript

00:00After five days of digging along the banks of Netrawati River in Dharamsthala, Karnataka,

00:04the suspense is only building.

00:08Five sights yielded nothing, but at site number six, a breakthrough.

00:12Police sources say the remains recovered are likely made.

00:15We now know 25 bone fragments were exhumed from the spot on July 31.

00:19Forensic analysis is next.

00:21As soon as the remains were spotted,

00:23ropes, clothes, a printer, laptop and other essential equipment would rush to the site.

00:27But the excitement didn't last.

00:29At site number seven, the team found nothing again.

00:32This is all part of a chilling investigation.

00:35A suspected mass burial case being led by a special investigation team.

00:39Of the 15 locations identified by a former sanitation worker,

00:43the SIT approved 13 for excavation.

00:45According to him, hundreds of bodies were buried or burned between 1998 and 2014,

00:51many showing signs of rape and torture.

00:53Excavations began on July 28.

00:55At the first five sights, police say they found nothing.

00:58But lawyer Manju Nath, who represents Sujata,

01:01the mother of missing medical student Ananya Bhatt, claims otherwise.

01:04He says a torn red blouse, ATM and pancards bearing a man's and a woman's name were found at the site.

01:11The SIT, however, denies recovering any such evidence.

01:14Ananya vanished in 2003 during a visit to Dharmsthala.

01:17Her mother believes she could be among the victims the whistleblower described.

01:21Still, Manju Nath praised the SIT's efforts digging 10 feet deep as a sign they were serious about uncovering the truth.

01:28According to the advocate,

01:29SIT No. 1 found two bodies.

01:32SIT No. 2 had two bodies.

01:34SIT No. 3 had two bodies.

01:36SITs 4 and 5, six bodies.

01:38SITs 6, 7 and 8, eight bodies.

01:41SIT No. 9, six to seven bodies.

01:43SIT No. 10, three bodies.

01:45SIT No. 11, nine bodies.

01:47SIT No. 12 allegedly has four to five bodies.

01:50SIT No. 13 has the highest number of bodies.

01:53Despite these claims, police insist that none of the first five sites, including the one by the river, yielded any remains,

02:00even after using JCB machines to dig through slush and water seepage.

02:04The man behind the tip-off, a Dalit whistleblower and former sanitation worker, first went public on July 11.

02:09He alleges he was forced to bury or cremate bodies, including those of women and minors, some with visible signs of assault.

02:16He gave his statement twice to the intelligence bureau in Mangaluru, masked and accompanied by lawyers, on July 26 and 27.

02:23His testimony is reportedly being videotaped.

02:25His story has sparked uncomfortable questions.

02:28Questions about power, caste and silence.

02:31This isn't just about one man's trauma.

02:33It's about families, like Sujata Bhats, seeking answers.

02:37And in SIT racing against time to uncover more than just buried boats.

02:41They are digging for truth.

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