New Delhi, Jul 19 (PTI) Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar on Saturday wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an inquiry by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into reports of disappearances, unnatural deaths, and sexual assaults in Dharmasthala town in Karnataka.
In the letter, Kumar flagged reported of “high number of unnatural deaths” in the town, and also mentioned a “confession” made by a former temple sanitation worker, now under witness protection, alleging that between 1995 and 2014, he was forced to dispose of over 500 human bodies, many of them women and minors who had been sexually assaulted.
“Recent developments have brought to the fore a grim reality that cannot be ignored,” Kumar said, claiming there was a disturbing and systematic pattern of crimes “primarily targeting women, often silenced through coercion, and concealed with frightening impunity”.
He also said that despite mass protests and years of appeals, the state government has failed to constitute a credible Special Investigation Team (SIT).
“It is for this reason that I urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to immediately hand over the entire investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
“Only an agency with full authority and a clear mandate can unravel the extent of this alleged criminal network, identify those responsible, and restore faith in the justice system,” he said.
The issue gained public attention following a recent letter sent to the police by a man alleging that many bodies were secretly buried “under pressure” in Dharmasthala. The man had appeared before the Beltangady court and testified before a magistrate, claiming to have been involved in burying several bodies in and around Dharmasthala.
Dharmasthala, in the Dakshina Kannada district, is a major pilgrimage centre, with Lord Manjunatha as the presiding deity.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said a preliminary investigation has begun and “if a more detailed probe is deemed necessary, the government will take a call” on setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
“The jurisdictional police are conducting a preliminary inquiry based on a statement made by a former sanitation worker, who claimed that hundreds of bodies were buried in the area. If further investigation is warranted, the government will decide. When a preliminary inquiry is ongoing, why is there a demand for an SIT? What is the police department for, then?” Parameshwara said. PTI AO RT RT
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.