Police have found partial skeletal remains at site number 6 in Dharmasthala, a temple town in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district. This is the first location among many where remains have been discovered, marking a key moment in the ongoing investigation.

The skeletal remains were found during exhumation work as part of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe. Police sources said the remains are “most likely of a male.” A forensic team has now taken the remains for testing to find out the person’s age, origin, and how the body was buried.

The case began after a former sanitation worker came forward with shocking claims. He said that he was forced to bury and cremate bodies of women and minors in Dharmasthala between 1998 and 2014. According to him, many of these bodies showed “signs of sexual assault.”

On Wednesday, police had searched five different sites but did not find anything. The first site, located near the Nethravathi River, was dug up using a JCB machine. Officials, forensic experts, and revenue staff were present. But due to water seepage, no remains were found there.

The whistleblower had given police a list of 15 suspected locations. Of these, eight are near the Nethravathi River; sites 9 to 12 are beside the highway near the river, site 13 is on the road to Aajukuri, and the last two are in the Kanyadi area.

Officials believe that the skeletal remains from site 6 may help confirm or reject the serious claims made by the whistleblower.

This is still a developing case, and forensic results will play a big role in deciding the next steps.

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