The Karnataka government on Sunday (July 20, 2025) constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Director General of Police (DGP) Internal Security Division and Cyber Command Pronab Mohanty to probe the allegations of series of murders and burials in Dharmasthala, on Sunday.

The order issued on Sunday (July 20, 2025), lists M. N. Anucheth, DIG, Recruitment, Sowmyalatha, DCP (CAR headquarters) and Jitendra Kumar Dayama, SP, Internal Security Division as members.

The case springs from a former sanitation employee in the area who has turned a whistle blower and claimed to have buried multiple bodies allegedly “raped and murdered” in Dharmasthala over the past several years. A FIR was registered based on his complaint and his statement was recorded before a magistrate recently.

The local police investigating the case had sought permission from the court to conduct a brain mapping, narco analysis on the complainant and claimed the investigation officer will decide as to when the bodies should be exhumed. This has drawn the ire of many activists, strengthening demands for the formation of a SIT.

The Karnataka State Commission for Women had written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging him to form an SIT. “There are reports about serious crimes of sexual harassment, murders, rapes, un natural deaths and missing persons complaints for the last two decades , which needs details probe,” Nagalakshmi Chowdhury, Chairperson of the Commission said.

The lawyers Sachin Desai and Ojaswi Gowda, for the complainant in the case, had issued a press note a few days ago demanding a SIT led by Mr. Mohanty. A delegation of lawyers had also met the chief minister and demanded a SIT. Former Supreme Court Justice V. Gopala Gowda had also alleged lapses in part of the local police and demanded the constitution of a SIT.

The order constituting the SIT directed the state police head to transfer all the related cases to Dharmasthala to SIT and provide required staff and office and needed infrastructure at Dakshina Kannada. Apart from. FIR registered based on the complaint of the whistle blower, there is another complaint by a woman claiming that her daughter went missing from Dharmasthala in 2003.

The SIT should report the progress of the investigation to Director General and Inspector General of Police and the final report on the investigation should be submitted to the government through DG IGP, the order said.