SC advocate urges CJI take suo motu cognisance of Dharmasthala burials

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) A Supreme Court advocate on Tuesday urged Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai to take suo-motu cognisance of the shocking revelations of mass burials in Karnataka’s Dharmasthala and to place the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe under the oversight of a retired apex court judge.

In a letter addressed to CJI Gavai, advocate Rohit Pandey described the matter as one of “extraordinary circumstances” where "visible human remains lie unexhumed due to pressure and witnesses are silenced".

The matter came to light after sanitation worker C.N. Chinnayya alleged on July 3 that he had been forced to bury bodies of victims of heinous crimes over two decades. He recorded his testimony before the police, a magistrate, and even filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court.

Following his disclosures, the SIT exhumed skeletal remains, skulls, and clothing items, partially substantiating his claims.

However, Pandey’s letter cautioned that the SIT is now facing obstruction.

"Despite these findings, it is publicly reported, and widely covered in national media, that the SIT is under pressure not to exhume further visible bodies," the advocate wrote, adding that such "shocking paralysis in the face of undeniable human remains undermines the very foundations of the rule of law".

The letter also highlighted the intimidation of lawyers assisting victims’ families.

"The Karnataka Police (outside the SIT) is being pressed into service to harass and intimidate lawyers who are assisting victims in approaching the SIT. Such actions constitute an unacceptable assault on the independence of the Bar and further demonstrate a breakdown of the rule of law in Karnataka," it stated.

Calling for immediate judicial intervention, advocate Pandey urged the apex court to ensure transparency in the SIT’s work, protect witnesses and victims’ families, and order the exhumation and forensic analysis of all visible remains.

"Urgent judicial intervention is the only safeguard to ensure that truth is not buried and the dignity of the law is upheld," he stressed.

--IANS

pds/vd