Dharmasthala mass burial case: Women’s Commission seeks wider SIT probe into suspicious deaths and sexual assault cases

Dharmasthala Mass Burial Case:The sensational Dharmasthala mass burial case has taken a new turn with the Karnataka State Women’s Commission stepping in, demanding that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) expand its probe beyond the existing criminal case.

The Commission has urged the SIT to investigate all suspicious deaths, rapes, murders, and missing women cases allegedly linked to Dharmasthala over the past two decades.

In a letter addressed to the SIT chief, Women’s Commission chairperson Dr. Nagalakshmi Chaudhary expressed concern that the ongoing probe appears limited to the statements made by accused Burude Chinnayya, who is now in jail.

She insisted that the scope of the SIT’s investigation should not be confined to Crime No. 39/2025 under Section 211 (A) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), but should cover the broader spectrum of serious offences reported from Dharmasthala and its surrounding areas.

According to the Commission’s letter, reports of murders, sexual assaults, unnatural deaths, and disappearances from Dharmasthala have persisted for more than 20 years. The Commission had earlier written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking a special probe, after which the SIT was formed.

However, the Commission noted that despite this, there is no indication that the SIT has begun investigating the women-related cases as intended by the government order. The letter also references media reports suggesting that the SIT’s work so far has primarily focused on human remains unearthed based on Chinnayya’s claims, without pursuing the circumstances behind the deaths or identifying the victims, especially women.

The Commission urged the SIT to immediately conduct a detailed inquiry into cases involving missing women, sexual assault, murder, and suspicious deaths, and to provide an update on the status of such investigations.

Meanwhile, women’s groups and activists have intensified their campaign demanding justice for the victims. On November 1, during the Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations, several women’s organizations launched a signature campaign at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park, urging the government to bring the perpetrators to justice and uncover the truth behind the alleged serial crimes in Dharmasthala.

Adding to the pressure, a delegation of women leaders recently met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to discuss the matter and push for a comprehensive and transparent investigation into what is now being described as one of Karnataka’s most disturbing and mysterious cases.

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