Human skeletal remains, suspected to be of a man, were on Thursday found near the Nethravathi river at Spot 6 in Dharmasthala, marking the third day of excavation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing allegations of mass burials in the temple town, according to News Minute.

The SIT began its excavation on July 29 at multiple locations identified by a former sanitation worker, whose testimony led to the current investigation. He has alleged that between 1995 and 2014, he was ordered by superiors to bury multiple bodies, many of them women and minors who, he claimed, showed signs of sexual assault.

According to police sources, while it is unclear which specific parts of the skeleton were recovered, the remains are believed to be male. Investigators noted that the bones are in a decayed state, likely affected by time and weather.

This is the first location to yield skeletal evidence after several days of digging across multiple sites.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah addressed concerns about potential changes in the SIT leadership, saying on Thursday, "Let's see. If he (Mohanty) goes to central government (he will be replaced).”

IPS officer Pronab Mohanty, who currently heads the SIT, is among those listed for empanelment to serve at the central government level. Home minister G. Parameshwara stated that no decision has been taken yet regarding his replacement.

“The government has not taken any decision yet on Mohanty,” Parameshwara said.

On Wednesday, five other spots were excavated, including one directly on the riverbank, but police sources confirmed that no human remains were recovered at any of those locations.

Whistleblower claims

The whistleblower had claimed that two bodies were buried at Spot 6. The former sanitation worker, who worked at the Dharmasthala temple, approached lawyers earlier this year with his claims.

Allegations of mass burials surfaced publicly towards the end of June, when his lawyers held a press conference detailing his statements. He filed a complaint through his legal counsel at the Dharmasthala police station on July 3.

An FIR was registered the following day. His statement was recorded by the Belthangady court under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) on July 11.

On July 28, he accompanied SIT officials to the sites and pointed out the locations where he said the bodies were buried, including areas near the snana ghatta, the bathing ghat on the banks of the Nethravathi river.

Officials from the revenue, forest and other departments were also present during the site visits. So far, the SIT has focused on 13 locations identified by the whistleblower. Most of them lie close to the Nethravathi.

Over the coming days, the SIT is expected to continue digging at other locations, including Spot 7. Officials are yet to decide whether excavation at that site will begin immediately.