Unveiling the Dark Secrets of Dharmasthala: A Call for NIA Probe

Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar has called on Home Minister Amit Shah to launch a National Investigation Agency (NIA) inquiry into alarming reports of disappearances, unnatural deaths, and sexual assaults in the pilgrimage town of Dharmasthala, Karnataka.

The concerns stem from a testimony by a former temple sanitation worker, now under witness protection, who alleged the disposal of over 500 bodies between 1995 and 2014, many of whom were victims of sexual assault. Despite mass protests, the state government has yet to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara stated that the jurisdictional police are conducting a preliminary inquiry. He emphasized that a decision on a detailed probe would be made if necessary, questioning the immediate need for an SIT while an initial investigation is in process.

(With inputs from agencies.)