Karnataka Forms SIT Headed by DGP Pronab Mohanty to Investigate Dharmasthala Murder Allegations

By BM TEAM | July 20, 2025

Bengaluru — The Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe explosive allegations of a series of murders and secret burials in Dharmasthala, following widespread public outcry and demands from legal and civil society groups.

The SIT will be led by Pronab Mohanty, Director General of Police, Internal Security Division and Cyber Command. The official government order, issued on Sunday, also names M.N. Anucheth (Deputy Inspector General, Recruitment), Sowmyalatha (Deputy Commissioner of Police, CAR Headquarters), and Jitendra Kumar Dayama (Superintendent of Police, Internal Security Division) as members of the team.

The case was triggered by a whistleblower — a former sanitation worker — who came forward with disturbing claims of having buried several bodies over the years. He alleged that many of the victims were raped and murdered. A First Information Report (FIR) was filed based on his complaint, and his statement was recently recorded before a magistrate.

Amid growing concerns about the handling of the case, including controversial attempts by local police to subject the whistleblower to brain mapping and narco-analysis, calls for a higher-level investigation gained momentum. Activists and legal experts criticized the local investigation for lacking transparency and sensitivity.

The Karnataka State Commission for Women was among those who pushed for the SIT. In a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhury highlighted long-standing reports of sexual violence, disappearances, and unnatural deaths in Dharmasthala, some dating back nearly two decades.

Lawyers representing the whistleblower, Sachin Desai and Ojaswi Gowda, had earlier demanded that the SIT be headed by DGP Pronab Mohanty. Their call was echoed by a delegation of advocates who met with the Chief Minister. Former Supreme Court Justice V. Gopala Gowda also criticized the local police for procedural lapses and supported the formation of the SIT.

The government order mandates the transfer of all related cases from local jurisdictions to the SIT. The team will be based in Dakshina Kannada district and will be provided with the necessary staff, office space, and infrastructure to carry out its work. Apart from the whistleblower’s FIR, the SIT will also examine other unresolved cases, including a 2003 complaint involving a missing woman from Dharmasthala.

The SIT has been instructed to report its progress to the Director General and Inspector General of Police, and to submit a final report through the same office to the state government.