With the Particular Investigation Workforce’s (SIT) excavation work in Dharmasthala producing minimal proof after greater than two weeks, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.Ok. Shivakumar has mentioned the state is weighing authorized measures in opposition to these he believes ran a “misinformation marketing campaign” aimed on the pilgrim city and its authorities.
The SIT, which started its operation on July 29 based mostly on claims by a former sanitation employee, has examined many of the 13 burial websites he recognized, recovering skeletal stays from just one. Senior SIT officers indicated two extra websites can be checked earlier than bringing the search to an in depth. The complainant had alleged that over a span of 25 years he was pressured to bury lots of of victims of sexual abuse and harassment.
Addressing reporters on the KPCC workplace on Friday, Shivakumar mentioned that the difficulty was about due course of, not partisanship. “This isn’t about being for or in opposition to Dharmasthala. The method should be as per the legislation. I’ve identified Dharmasthala intently, and I place confidence in the place. I firmly imagine that the conspiracy might be uncovered within the days to return. The Dwelling minister will current the information about this case within the Home.”
When pressed on whether or not a conspiracy existed, he replied, “The Dwelling minister will clarify it intimately. The Chief Minister is dedicated to bringing out the reality and has warned in opposition to any conspiracy to tarnish the picture. Regulation is identical for everybody. There isn’t a try to guard anybody. Nobody’s repute should be tarnished.”
Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao mentioned in Mangaluru that Dwelling Minister G. Parameshwara would current a full account to each homes on August 18. He maintained that the SIT was performing “transparently and impartially to search out out the reality” and famous that “Nobody has any doubts in regards to the investigation as it’s going properly. We’ll put the reality earlier than the individuals. We can’t reply to what somebody has mentioned.”
Gundurap additionally mentioned, “If there’s a conspiracy behind this, that too must be thought of,” and added that “nothing might be denied. All information should be identified by means of investigation.” He accused the BJP of politicising non secular issues: “BJP is a celebration that appears for political acquire… Now that each one the information have come out, the BJP is calculating how they will use it for political acquire.”
Based on him, numerous teams, together with left-leaning organisations, had pushed for a proper probe. “Even Veerendra Heggade had mentioned that an SIT can be good,” he mentioned, including that though he initially believed the native police may deal with the case, “wanting again now, it was an excellent factor that the SIT was fashioned. Nobody can have any doubts. The police can’t be blamed. A clear investigation is underway.”
In the meantime, Chief of the Opposition R Ashoka demanded that the state authorities reveal the identification of the masked man who led police to the excavation website and hand over the case to the Nationwide Investigation Company (NIA). Ashoka alleged that regardless of spending over ₹1 crore and deploying heavy equipment, drones, and fashionable gear, the investigation had yielded nothing.
“Who is that this man directing the digging? The police give him safety, feed him biryani, and observe his directions. However not even a mouse has been discovered,” he remarked.
Because the SIT wraps up its work, BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra has introduced that round 200 members will journey in convoy from Bengaluru to Dharmasthala on Sunday “as devotees of Lord Manjunatha and Annappa Swamy and never as occasion employees,” describing the journey as an expression of solidarity with the temple administration.
