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Dharmasthala Mass Burial SIT Probe Confronts Staffing Woes After Two Officers Step Down

Officers’ exit requests have left the SIT in limbo, jeopardizing the launch of planned forensic digs.

One of the entrances to Dharmasthala | Sharan Poovanna | ThePrint
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Women Missing, Bodies Found—India Today Impact Triggers Major SIT Probe

Overview

  • Two officers, including DCP S. K. Soumyalatha, have unofficially sought to opt out of the 20-member SIT, raising doubts about the team’s final composition.
  • Home Minister G. Parameshwara confirmed hearing of the exit requests but said no formal resignation letters have been received and replacements will be arranged if necessary.
  • Under DGP Pronab Mohanty’s leadership, the SIT has begun operating from Belthangady to ensure secure handling of the whistleblower and initial probe steps.
  • Investigators are preparing for a complex excavation in dense terrain to locate and analyze potential mass graves, facing challenges of degraded remains and sparse historical records.
  • The revived inquiry also brings renewed scrutiny to the unresolved 2012 Sowjanya rape-murder case, underscoring long-standing investigative gaps in Dharmasthala.