Bidar (Karnataka), Aug 6 (PTI) Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Wednesday said disciplinary action would be taken against department officials and staff if the ongoing investigation confirms that bodies were illegally buried in forest areas in Dharmasthala.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the state government, is probing allegations of mass murder, rape, and illegal burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
A former sanitation worker, whose identity has not been disclosed, claimed he was employed in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014 and was forced to bury several bodies, including those of women and minors. He also alleged that some of the bodies bore signs of sexual assault. The complainant has recorded a statement before a magistrate.
“The investigation is ongoing, and further action will be based on its findings. If there is any lapse or negligence on the part of forest officials, disciplinary action will be taken following the law,” Khandre told reporters here.
Responding to the complainant’s claim that the bodies were buried on forest land, the minister said, “The investigation will reveal the nature of illegality—where it occurred, the survey number, under whose jurisdiction, and who is responsible. If illegality is established, appropriate action will certainly follow.” As part of the probe, the SIT has been inspecting multiple sites identified by the witness in forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala.
According to official sources, a human skull and several bones were found on Monday at the eleventh such location. On July 31, skeletal remains of a male were recovered at the sixth site pointed out by the witness. PTI KSU SSK KH
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