Bengaluru, July 20 (IANS) Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara said on Sunday that the state government has not treated the Dharmasthala mass grave allegations as a minor issue, and the government is not under any pressure while pursuing this grave case.
Following the announcement of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by senior IPS officers, Parameshwara said, “We have not treated this development lightly. Generally, when a complaint is filed, an FIR is registered and a preliminary investigation is conducted. As more details emerge, the investigation assumes greater importance. In this context, we have decided to order a high-level probe.”
“There is no question of the government acting under pressure. These decisions are not made due to external pressure. We are considering the pros and cons of the case, and the decision has been taken after assessing the ground realities,” Parameshwara said in response to a question.
Initially, we had instructed that a preliminary investigation be conducted at the local police station level, and accordingly, the inquiry was underway. However, there was growing public demand for a high-level probe. The government has nothing to hide in this case. We took some time to deliberate, and now a decision has been made, he added.
“We will now have to wait and see what facts emerge from the investigation. I had earlier stated that a preliminary inquiry should be carried out based on the complaint filed regarding the alleged Dharmasthala murders. I had also said that a high-level probe would be ordered if necessary,” he reiterated.
“Myself, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and DGP and IGP M.A. Saleem sat together for a discussion, and a decision was taken. The order has already been issued. Pronab Mohanty, a senior IPS officer, will head the SIT. We have instructed the team to investigate the matter thoroughly and report to the DGP & IGP. The report will be submitted to him. The team will begin its work,” Parameshwara stated.
In a major development, the Siddaramaiah-led government in Karnataka has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising four senior IPS officers to probe the alleged murders in Dharmasthala.
The formation of the SIT was demanded by the State Women’s Commission, retired Supreme Court Judge Justice V. Gopala Gowda and several activists.
The development is likely to stir controversy, as Dharmasthala is a prominent Hindu pilgrimage centre in Karnataka.
The SIT will be led by senior IPS officer Pronab Mohanty, DGP of the Internal Security Department, along with DIG (Recruitment) M.N. Anuchet, DCP (City Armed Reserve) Sowmyalatha, and Jitendra Kumar, Superintendent of Police in the Internal Security Department.
The government stated that the formation of the SIT is appropriate in response to the State Women’s Commission’s request and the case registered at the Dharmasthala Police Station under Section 211(a) of the BNS Act. The SIT will also investigate any related criminal cases that may be registered in other police stations across the state.
On July 11, the unidentified complainant, who had claimed that he was forced to bury several bodies of women who were raped and murdered in Dharmasthala village, appeared before a court in Karnataka’s Mangaluru district last Friday and recorded his statement.
–IANS
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