SIT Gives Clean Chit To Dharmasthala Administration in Mass Burial Row, Said, 'Accused Was Paid To Deliver False Statements'

The preliminary report from the SIT (Special Investigation Team) in the Dharmasthala mass burial case has revealed an alleged conspiracy involving a group of anti-Dharmasthala activists. The report has issued a clean chit to the Dharmasthala administration, stating that the accused was allegedly paid, pressured, and coached to deliver false statements. The anti-temple body allegedly coached the accused. This group purportedly procured a skull, staged evidence, and recorded scripted videos about mass burials to support their claims.

SIT findings have categorically stated that no mass burials occurred at Dharmasthala. Six individuals have been identified as culprits who intended to defame Dharmasthala by promoting their ideological views.

Key Findings of the SIT Report:

-Alleged conspiracy orchestrated by anti-Dharmasthala activists.

-The accused was coerced into giving false statements.

-Evidence was staged, including the procurement of a human skull.

-Six individuals were identified as culprits in the entire case.

The complainant, who had alleged he was forced to bury multiple bodies in Dharmasthala, was earlier arrested by the SIT after forensic analysis showed the bones he produced were of a man, not a woman, as he had claimed.

According to reports, the anti-Dharmasthala activists staged the mass burial hoax and recorded scripted videos to support their claims. Reports suggest that characters like the 'Masked Man' and 'Sujatha,' who influenced people to mistrust the Dharmasthala administration, were deliberately planted in the media.

SIT findings also noted that "Lutyens media" outlets had claimed there were mass burials in the temple town. The skull used was central to the investigation.

Republic had earlier claimed the entire incident was part of an anti-Hindu campaign.

It was the whistleblower who had claimed to have buried hundreds of bodies over the last 30-40 years, alleging that all were women aged 12-80 who had been brutally raped.

The Karnataka SIT initiated the investigation. They checked 18 to 19 locations and found skulls, prompting the government to demand a SIT report.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, speaking in Belagavi, claimed there is a conspiracy against Dharmasthala, a place currently linked to allegations of mass murder, mass rape, and mass burial.

The Deputy Chief Minister stressed that such controversies could harm institutions that have stood for many generations.

"I had openly stated in the Assembly that there is a conspiracy against Dharmasthala. But the truth has prevailed. The law has to take its own course. Such controversies can damage institutions that have been in place for many generations...There is a big difference between RSS and BJP, and even that is deeply rooted in this controversy..." Shivakumar told reporters.