SIT to conduct expert GPR survey at site 13 in Dharmasthala mass burial case
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Mangaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is set to carry out a technical survey today to assess the feasibility of using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) or other technologies to detect any possible human remains at the 13th alleged burial site in the Dharmasthala mass burial case, which was flagged by the witness-complainant.
According to SIT sources, expert consultation has been deemed necessary before proceeding with any exhumation, given the site's proximity to the main road and the presence of overhead electrical lines.
An SIT official, speaking anonymously to The New Indian Express, noted that a GPR unit from Bengaluru is expected to arrive either today or tomorrow. However, ongoing weather concerns—specifically, an Orange alert issued by the India Meteorological Department—may affect the schedule, as heavy rains are forecast. The official also confirmed that the current focus is solely on site 13.
Senior officers, including SIT head DGP Pronab Mohanty, DIG M N Anucheth, and SP Jitendra Kumar Dayama—who is leading the investigation—are expected to visit the site and oversee the expert survey, TNIE reported.
The SIT will use GPR to search for possible human remains at site no. 13.
Officials stated that Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) or mountain radar systems would be employed to support the exhumation process at site number 13. However, they acknowledged that the effectiveness of these tools may be compromised due to wet soil and rainfall, which can interfere with signal clarity.
Of the 13 burial sites identified by the whistleblower, 12 have already been exhumed. Additionally, a newly identified location—referred to as site 14 and situated near site 11—was dug up on Wednesday, though no human remains were discovered there. So far, remains have been unearthed only at site 6, where the SIT conducted an exhumation, and skeletal fragments were found near a tree close to site 11 on August 4, though not as part of a planned dig.
The witness in the case, a former sanitation worker, has alleged that he was forced to bury the bodies of individuals who were reportedly victims of rape and murder around ten years ago in Dharmasthala. The Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by DGP Pronab Mohanty and established on July 19, is currently investigating the matter. Their immediate focus is on deploying GPR at site 13 to search for additional human remains.
