A four-member team from NHRC has arrived in Belthangady taluk and on Tuesday launched a probe into the allegations of mass secret burials in Dharmasthala.

Initiated by the NHRC on its own, the probe involves visits to critical local institutions, including the Gram Panchayat office, the local police station, the Dharmasthala temple premises, and the SIT (Special Investigation Team) office.

During initial consultations, the NHRC team, headed by Senior Superintendent of Police Yuvaraj, gathered records of unnatural death cases spanning decades.

Sanitation workers and other relevant individuals have provided statements to support the investigation. The inquiry is expected to span four to five days, according to the police.

A witness, previously a sanitation worker, claimed and asserted he was forced to bury numerous bodies—many of them women and minors—over several years.

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