Dharmasthala mass burial allegations: Karnataka government forms SIT headed by Dr. Pronab Mohanty
Who are the members of this crucial SIT? Full details below
Bengaluru: In connection with the serial murder allegations said to have occurred in Dharmasthala village of Belthangady taluk, Dakshina Kannada district, and pertaining to Criminal Case No. 39/2025 under Section 211(A) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Karnataka state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising four IPS officers for a comprehensive probe.
The government officially issued the order on Saturday (July 19), transferring the case to the SIT. Dr. Pronab Mohanty, Director General of Police (DGP) of the Internal Security Division of the state, has been appointed as the head of this Special Investigation Team.
Other members of the SIT:
* M.N. Anucheth, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Recruitment Division
* Soumya Latha, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Armed Reserve (CAR)
* Jitendra Kumar Dayama, Superintendent of Police, Internal Security Division
According to the government order, the SIT will carry out an impartial and detailed investigation into the case registered at Dharmasthala Police Station as well as any other related or future cases filed in police stations across the state concerning this issue. The SIT is also directed to submit its report to the government at the earliest.
Earlier, the Karnataka State Women’s Commission had written to the government demanding the formation of a Special Investigation Team for an impartial and thorough investigation.
The Women’s Commission had specifically requested a high-level SIT to probe cases involving missing women and girl students, unnatural deaths or murders, and sexual assault incidents that have reportedly occurred in the Dharmasthala region over the past 20 years.
The government order cites the issues raised in the Women’s Commission's letter and the case registered at Dharmasthala Police Station (Cr. No. 39/2025 under BNS Section 211(A)), and concludes that it is appropriate to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for an in-depth and impartial inquiry.
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
