some-questions-remain-unanswered-in-dharmasthala-burial-case

Allegations of a horrific rape-murder and mass graves have shaken the peaceful temple town of Dharmasthala in Karnataka. A sanitation worker-turned-whistleblower's claims — he was coerced into burying and burning hundreds of bodies, most of them of women and children, many with evidence of sexual abuse and brutality between 1998 and 2014 — have jolted society. The outcry among activists and lawyers has only swelled, encouraging the Karnataka government to direct a Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigation into the allegations of mass burials, where officials of the Dharmasthala temple administration were said to be involved.

 

The complaint by the whistleblower to the Dharmasthala police on July 3 evoked public outrage and reminded people of the delayed 2012 Sowjanya rape-murder case — in which, despite years of investigations, court cases, and public hue and cry, justice was never delivered. The culprit behind the crime is still unidentified, and the only accused was ultimately acquitted.

 

After the whistleblower's new complaint and increasing calls for a proper investigation, including one by the Karnataka Women's Commission, the Karnataka government led by Siddaramaiah set up an SIT on July 20, to investigate the allegations of bulk burials, rape and systemic cover-ups.

 

Also read: SIT to begin probe in Dharmasthala burial case: Parameshwara

 

But the Bharatiya Janata Party, while supporting the SIT investigation, has charged a conspiracy.

 

“There is no wrongdoing in Dharmasthala. If a SIT wishes to investigate, let it be done. There is no problem with that,” former CM and BJP leader BS Yediyurappa said.

 

"The state government has constituted an SIT, the probe has to take place at the earliest. We are also aware of the conspiracy behind it [the charge]. If any efforts are made to topple the system there with regard to this issue, we will consider what to do next," said Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra, as per a report.

 

But even as the SIT was formed and public pressure mounted, a number of crucial questions linger, raising doubts over the renewed charges, reactions of the families, the conduct of investigations, and the management of this perennial scandal.

 

1. How hundreds of burials and cremations remained secret?

The whistleblower claimed hundreds of bodies were buried or burned in secret, often near the Netravathi River, over nearly two decades. The town's importance, visited by thousands of pilgrims daily, and frequented by politicians and celebrities, raises scepticism about how such large-scale operations went unnoticed.

 

The whistleblower claimed that corpses were dumped in areas that were selected for rapid breakdown, but the absence of previous reports or suspicions within a close-knit population is puzzling.

Supporters of the whistleblower have countered that institutional failures in local police forces could have facilitated the claimed secrecy, including claims of police inertia when families went missing. The SIT needs to probe how the purported crimes managed to go unchecked in the high-profile spiritual hub.

 

2. Why aren't more families of victims coming forward?

The hundreds of victims alleged by the whistleblower indicate an enormous number of families involved. But Sujatha Bhat, the only complainant so far, whose daughter Ananya went missing in 2003, has complained since the allegations first emerged early this year. The dearth of complaints by families indicates the enormity of the claims or whether it is because of fear of retaliation.

 

The Karnataka State Commission for Women observed a tradition of poor police response in cases of missing persons, and this could have discouraged relatives of potential victims. The SIT's charter does involve investigation into disappearances, but poor proactive family inputs are still a significant gap and can damage the inquiry.

 

3. Why did the whistleblower emerge after a decade of silence?

The former sanitation worker at the Dharmasthala, who is now a whistleblower, alleged that he escaped the town in 2014 following decades of threats and trauma, especially after allegedly being assaulted by a family member. Stories reported that with the complaint, he included pictures of skeletal bodies he dug up as evidence.

 

But his long silence raises doubts on his motives or outside forces. The SIT will obviously investigate his accusations and determine why he waited for this time to come forward after ten years of silence.

 

4. Why didn't these allegations emerge during 2012-13 Sowjanya protests?

The 2012 rape and murder of 17-year-old Sowjanya in Dharmasthala, and the State reaction, involved huge protests and police inaction and interference allegations by prominent persons.

 

However, the whistleblower allegations of mass burials of scores of people did not emerge then when the case was examined.

 

The CBI also investigated Sowjanya's rape-murder.

 

5. Why haven't police yet started exhuming suspected bodies?

As of Thursday, no exhumations have been made despite the SIT being constituted on July 20, and the whistleblower's promise to locate burial sites.

 

The police have made applications to the court for permission to carry out tests such as brain mapping and narco-analysis on the whistleblower, but indicated that digging up the suspected burial grounds would only be done at the right time, although such an action would conclusively determine if the whistleblower's allegations bear any truth or not. And if his allegations regarding the magnitude of the crime are real.

 

This has created doubts over the rate and motive of the probe, considering that earlier investigations have been said to be shallow, delayed, or influenced by strong interests.

 

Supporters of the whistleblower have raised issues with possible leaks of the whistleblower's words, which increase the risks of tampering. The SIT should move quickly to authenticate the physical evidence and silence public doubts about the integrity of the investigation, because only then can the allegations be laid to rest.