**Title:** SIT Expands Investigation in Dharmasthala Mass Burial Case
**Meta Description:** The SIT has added ten charges against the whistleblower in the Dharmasthala mass burial case, focusing on perjury and evidence fabrication.
**URL Slug:** dharmasthala-mass-burial-sit-investigation
**Headline:** Special Investigation Team Broadens Inquiry into Dharmasthala Mass Burial Allegations
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the alleged mass burial case in Dharmasthala has expanded its inquiry, adding ten new charges against the whistleblower under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). These charges pertain to perjury, forgery, and the fabrication of evidence. According to police sources, the original charges in the case remain unchanged as investigations into the recovered human remains, missing persons, and other Unnatural Death Reports (UDRs) continue.
A senior officer stated, “The newly added sections relate only to the skull submitted before the Belthangady court and have been included in the same FIR.” The whistleblower, a former sanitation worker for the Dharmasthala temple administration, had previously claimed to have buried 70 to 80 bodies at various locations and presented a skull as evidence. He is now facing accusations of perjury and evidence fabrication, with the SIT invoking laws concerning forgery, false declarations, destruction of evidence, and false testimony in serious offenses.
Earlier this week, the police arrested the whistleblower, known as the “mask man,” after an overnight interrogation, alleging that he misled investigators with false information. Out of the 15 locations he identified, only the skeletal remains of one male were recovered. The whistleblower had previously informed media outlets that some bodies exhibited signs of sexual assault and denied any intention to tarnish the temple’s reputation. Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara indicated in the Assembly that action could be taken if the SIT determines the whistleblower’s claims to be false.
The SIT’s investigation continues to focus on whether the submitted skull and related evidence were part of a deliberate attempt to mislead the inquiry into the mass burial allegations.
**FAQ Section:**
**Q: What are the new charges against the whistleblower in the Dharmasthala case?**
A: The whistleblower faces ten new charges related to perjury, forgery, and fabrication of evidence, as the SIT expands its investigation into the mass burial allegations.