Dharmasthala case: SIT adds perjury charges over ‘skull’ produced by complainant witness in court

MANGALURU: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged mass burial case in Dharmasthala included charges related to perjury in connection with a skull produced before the court by the complainant witness. A senior officer told TOI that additional charges were invoked regarding the skull used by the complainant witness, which is probably used to further his narrative in the court. "The charges of related to perjury were included with respect to the skull produced before the court. Some sections under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including forgery, were also added in support of perjury. We are acting on the directions of the court," the officer said.Regarding the wider probe, the official said that the SIT continues to investigate the alleged mass burial case.It may be recalled that the Dharmasthala Police registered a case under Section 211(a) of the BNS on July 4 based on the complaint made by the complainant witness. Meanwhile, the complainant witness was granted cover and protection under the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018. The Karnataka govt ordered the formation of the SIT in an order issued on July 19.

Following this, the SIT carried out searches by digging nearly 17 locations in the presence of Puttur Assistant Commissioner Stella Varghese and Scene of Crime Officers (SoCO).The officer said that, as part of this, multiple sites were exhumed, and soil samples were collected for forensic analysis. "To suggest that there is a conspiracy against Dharmasthala or an institution is completely premature. Only after the SIT submits its report or closure report to the court can such claims be concluded.

At present, we are focused on the allegation made by the complainant witness," an officer clarified.The complainant witness, who was arrested by the SIT on Saturday, was produced before the JMFC Belthangady court and remanded to 12 days in SIT custody. Following his admission that he was staying at an activist’s residence, police conducted a search and recovered his personal belongings and a few electronic devices that he reportedly referred to. Meanwhile, the statement of Sujatha Bhat, mother of Ananya Bhat, who alleged that her daughter went missing from Dharmasthala in 2003, was recorded by the SIT on Wednesday.