Advocates seek High Court’s intervention in Dharmasthala mass burials case
Raise concerns over investigation integrity
Bengaluru: A group of practicing advocates from Bengaluru have submitted a publi interest petition to the Registrar General of the Karnataka High Court, urging immediate judicial oversight into the investigation of case registered at the Dharmasthala Police Station. The case pertains to explosive allegations of mass sexual assaults, murders, and secret burials spanning nearly two decades in and around Dharmasthala, Dakshina Kannada district.
According to the petition, advocates Shreeram T. Nayak, Ganesh Prasad B.S., Ganesh V., and Ponnanna K.A. contend that the current investigation is neither free nor fair and appears to be compromised due to the involvement of influential individuals. The complaint, originally filed on July 3, 2025, alleges that hundreds of vulnerable individuals, including minor girls, women, and beggars, were subjected to sexual violence, torture, and murder between 1995 and 2014, with the remains either buried or burned.
The complainant, reportedly coerced into aiding the alleged crimes under duress from powerful figures in Dharmasthala, is said to have provided skeletal remains and photographs from one of the burial sites as evidence. Despite these startling claims and the subsequent registration of an FIR under Section 211(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the advocates point out that there has been little to no progress in the form of arrests or forensic examination, even 17 days after the FIR was filed.
The petition warns that the delay in action could result in the destruction of critical evidence, as the accused, though unnamed, are believed to wield considerable influence across political and societal domains in Karnataka. The lawyers also express concern that statements by prominent BJP leaders, including MLC C.T. Ravi and MLA Arvind Bellad, have dismissed the case as a smear campaign against Dharmasthala, further deepening fears of a compromised probe.
Adding to the controversy, the petition cites a meeting between a well-known Dharmasthala figure and Karnataka’s Home Minister G. Parameshwara shortly after the FIR. Although the Home Minister later stated that the meeting was regarding a medical college, the petitioners highlight that his portfolio does not cover education, but home affairs, including oversight of police operations.
“The release of the complainant’s confidential statement further calls into question the integrity of the investigation and the seriousness with which witness protection measures are being implemented,” the petition notes, referencing the Witness Protection Scheme of 2018.
The advocates conclude their petition by urging the Karnataka High Court to intervene and oversee the investigation to ensure justice for the alleged victims and prevent further tampering or suppression of evidence. They argue that only court-monitored investigation can preserve the sanctity of justice in a case of such grave magnitude and widespread societal implications.
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Bangladesh court sentences Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in corruption cases
Dhaka (PTI): A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in two separate corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project.
Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the verdicts, sentencing Hasina to a total of 10 years’ imprisonment — five years in each case, state-run BSS news agency reported.
The court sentenced 78-year-old Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her nieces, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and others in the cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol.
The judgment was pronounced at around 12.30 pm.
Tulip Siddiq was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment — two years in each case — while Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq were each sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in both cases.
Rajuk member Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused to surrender before the court, was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment in each case, totalling two years.
The court also fined all convicted persons Tk1 lakh each and ordered them to serve an additional six months in prison in default of payment.
Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests. She was earlier declared a fugitive by the court.
The cases were filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged abuse of power in the allocation of two 10-katha plots.
According to the prosecution, the accused manipulated the allocation process and violated existing rules and regulations of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
