Dharmasthala Case: Identity Of Arrested Whistleblower-Complainant To Be Protected, Says Report
Dharmasthala, Karnataka: On Saturday, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), who are investigating the Dharmasthala mass burial case, arrested the witness-complainant, a former sanitation worker. The arrest was made for perjury, an intentional act of lying or making a false statement under oath.
Amid reports that the arrest nullifies witness protection, a source from the SIT has clarified that the complainant still enjoys witness protection.
Read Also: Dharmasthala Mass Burial: Whistleblower Arrested, Woman Says Missing Daughter Story Was Fake
The 45-year-old key whistleblower, who claimed he buried over 100 women’s bodies with marks of rapes and murders around Dharmasthala temple town, was arrested on charges of forgery and fabrication of evidence in connection with the skull and other remains he claimed to have exhumed by himself and produced before the court. However, he is still protected under the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018, valid till September, reported The New Indian Express, citing SIT sources.
Officials from the probe team stated that they have informed that they needed to conceal the witness’s identity until they decide and, hence, his witness protection is not yet withdrawn, and his face cover wasn’t removed even after his arrest.
Read Also: Dharmasthala: News Outlet Moves HC Against Gag Orders Restricting Coverage On Mass Burial Case
The officials pointed out that the brother of the accused was informed about his arrest, as per the procedures. They further said that they have sent samples of human remains and the soil recovered during exhumation for forensic analysis and are awaiting results.
During the custody period, the officials would continue to look into the claims made by the complainant, the report added.
Read Also: 100+ Bone Fragments, Including Skulls, Found As Digging Unveils Horror In Dharmasthala
Notably, while the complainant was arrested for allegedly misleading the SIT, the woman who initially reported a missing daughter has now also admitted that her story was fabricated. The police also found that the skull initially presented by the whistleblower was fake, leading to his arrest. Officials could recover the skeletal remains of a single male at spot number six where the complainant claimed to have made at least 15 burials.
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