Dharmasthala case: Karnataka HC issues notice to SIT on inspection, excavation of sites

Bengaluru, Sep 15 (IANS) Considering the petition by two residents of Dharmasthala, the Karnataka High Court on Monday issued notice to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sensational mass grave case in connection with the inspection and excavation of bodies at the locations identified by them.

The bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna served the notice to the SIT looking into the petitions filed by Purandara Gowda and another, seeking an order by the High Court, with regard to taking time-bound action to conduct site inspection and excavation of bodies.

The bench observed that the petitioners had approached the court as their pleas were not considered by the SIT probing the Dharmasthala case. The court further directed the Special Public Prosecutor B.N. Jagadeesha to accept the notice for the SIT and make a submission to the court in this regard with due consultation with the SIT on Thursday (Sept 18).

Senior counsel Deepak Khosla, representing the petitioners, stressed that they could be punished in case of the claims made in the plea were found to be false.

He further submitted to the court that the pleas had been submitted to the court on August 6 and August 29, asking the SIT to recover dead bodies at various locations in Dharmasthala. It was also submitted that the dead bodies are half exposed to animals and human beings.

He further stated that directions must be given to initiate swift and time-bound action to take up site inspections and excavation of bodies, in the presence of petitioners, at the specified locations identified by them.

The plea submitted to the court also sought the appointment of a court commissioner, either a Judicial registrar or a retired judge, to submit a factual report to accompany the petitioners to the burial sites and submit a factual report to the court. The plea also appealed for directions to the SIT to submit a status report on the Dharmasthala case on the progress made in terms of investigation to ensure a comprehensive investigation.

Earlier, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara had stated that it is impossible to ask the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to submit its report on the alleged Dharmasthala murder case within a time-bound framework.

"We have only asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to expedite the probe into the alleged Dharmasthala murder case. It is not possible to ask them to submit a report within a fixed timeframe," he stated.

He added that it is currently unclear which direction the investigation is heading. "If the investigation is completed early, the report will be submitted accordingly. Otherwise, the SIT will continue probing the case until they reach a conclusion," he said.

“These are not matters where we can demand that the investigation be completed in a certain manner or within a stipulated period. A specific timeframe cannot be given in this case,” Parameshwara emphasised.

--IANS

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