Final Report Submitted in Karnataka's Controversial Burial Case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the contentious mass burial case in Karnataka has submitted its final report to the court on Tuesday. This marks the conclusion of a year-long investigation that garnered significant public attention. The SIT presented a report spanning nearly 7,000 pages, along with all seized items and evidence collected during the inquiry. Included in the submitted documents were property and asset registers that formed part of the evidence gathered by investigators. The final report comes exactly one year after the Karnataka government established the SIT to investigate allegations of mass burials, sexual abuse, murders, and cover-ups surrounding the Dharmasthala temple town and its vicinity.

During the court proceedings, the detailed report was presented in the presence of former sanitation worker C.N. Chinnayya, known as the 'Mask Man of Dharmasthala,' and his wife, who were present alongside SIT officials. Initially, Chinnayya emerged as the primary whistleblower in this case but later claimed he was used as a pawn to fabricate a narrative. The case gained national attention when Chinnayya made shocking allegations, asserting that he was coerced into assisting in the illegal mass burial of numerous women and minors between 1995 and 2014. He alleged that many of the victims were women and students who were subjected to sexual abuse and murder before their bodies were disposed of.

Following these allegations, public outrage surged, prompting calls for an independent investigation. In response to the intervention of the Karnataka State Women's Commission, the state government formed a 20-member SIT to investigate decades of mysterious deaths, disappearances, and allegations of sexual exploitation in the area. During its investigation, the SIT identified 15 locations for excavation, recovering skeletons and soil samples. Reports indicate that toxic substances were found in the skeletons examined at forensic science laboratories from at least two sites. After the Human Rights Commission took cognizance of the matter, the scope of the investigation was expanded to include several old cases of unusual deaths in the region. However, a significant twist occurred when the SIT began to scrutinize Chinnayya's claims during the investigation.