BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said a report is expected from the police department on mass burials at Dharmasthala, a popular religious destination in Dakshina Kannada, in a day or two and based on their report, “The State Government will decide on constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT).”
Siddaramaiah said “The State Government will act as per law.” He denied “His government is under pressure” and asserted “His government will not succumb to any sort of pressure.”
He told reporters in Mysuru, an ex-sanitation worker attached to Dharmasthala Temple alleged he buried several bodies and the person was absconding for about 10 years before he came before the police to give his statement. The ex-sanitation worker alleged he was forced by Dharmasthala temple officials to bury and burn several bodies of women from 1995-2014.
Adding, he said, his statement has been recorded by the police and the person has furnished all details of mass burials at Dharmasthala and told the police to show the sites where all bodies have been buried by him.
It may be recalled here a delegation led by retired Supreme Court Judge V. Gopala Gowda met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a couple of days back in Bengaluru, wherein a demand was made to probe the allegations of mass burials at Dharmasthala by a Special Investigation Team. The delegation included social activists and lawyers.
The delegation expressed doubted fairness in investigation by the jurisdictional police and Gopala Gowda requested SIT to investigate mass burials under a highest ranking police officer and the SIT investigation should be monitored by a Supreme Court judge or by a High Court judge of Karnataka. The Chief Minister assured the delegation to look into their demand for SIT investigation.
