Dharmasthala: In the case involving allegations of hundreds of bodies being buried in Dharmasthala, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed residents of Pangala village—Purandar Gouda and Tukaram Gouda—to submit any additional information beyond what is held by the original complainant, C.N. Chinnaiah, who has now become an accused. The single-judge bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna heard the petition filed by Purandar Gouda and Tukaram Gouda, seeking directions for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to excavate the locations they have identified.

The court ordered that if Purandar Gouda and Tukaram Gouda possess information independent of Chinnaiah's, they must submit it along with a memo. The hearing has been adjourned to September 25. At the same time, the High Court expressed surprise at the magistrate's delay in recording the statement of the accused Chinnaiah and noted this in its order. Earlier, as the hearing began, senior counsel Deepak Khosla, representing the petitioners, stated, "If the SIT examines the locations we have identified, dozens of skeletons will be found." The bench responded that in the previous hearing, it had directed the Special Public Prosecutor to obtain and report information, and they would see what the prosecutor says.Also Read: "You Claim to Be a Devout Follower of Vishnu, So Go Pray to Him": Controversy Over CJI Gavai's statement: Here's the Information

Special Public Prosecutor B.N. Jagadish then explained, "This concerns two complaints submitted to the SIT. The statements given by the original complainant Chinnaiah form the basis of both. It includes the information Chinnaiah provided to the current petitioners about the case. Chinnaiah had claimed that hundreds of bodies were buried in Dharmasthala. He said they were buried following instructions from the Dharmasthala administration, including bodies of women subjected to sexual violence and school children. Chinnaiah's statement under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was recorded in the magistrate's court."Vogaan Men's T-Shirt and Shorts Set | Top & Shorts Night Suits Set | Night Wear for Men

Continuing, he added, "Based on Chinnaiah's statement, searches were conducted at 13 locations he identified. With necessary permissions, exhumations were carried out in the presence of the executive magistrate. Out of the 13 sites, a body was found at one location, which forensic reports confirmed was male. A second body was also discovered, but it was not a female as claimed. During the complaint, Chinnaiah had admitted under oath that the skull he submitted belonged to a woman. However, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report stated it was male, possibly belonging to a 30-year-old. According to the investigation so far, Chinnaiah did not provide accurate information to the court, implying he lied to the SIT."

At this point, the bench asked, "What is the petitioners' request?"

Jagadish replied, "The petitioners have applied to the SIT to show them the burial sites. Before the magistrate, Chinnaiah admitted that he did not find the skull he handed over to the police; someone else gave it to him. He said the statement he gave in court was false and made on someone else's instructions. However, he claimed he worked as a sanitation worker in Dharmasthala and that police and doctors examined the bodies he buried. Therefore, that investigation has been concluded."To this, the bench remarked to Khosla, "Currently, you are counsel for the petitioners; you could raise this question when representing Chinnaiah."Further, the bench stated, "If there is independent information beyond what Chinnaiah has, it could have been considered. If your request is allowed, tomorrow someone else might come forward claiming they also saw bodies being buried. This cannot go on indefinitely."