A team of four members of the National Human Rights Commission, (NHRC) has already reached the territory of Belthangady taluka and on Tuesday a probe by the team is started into the serious allegations of mass secret burials in Dharmasthala. The inquiry which was initiated by the NHRC without being mandated, seeks to establish the truth surrounding allegations that there are many bodies that have been buried without proper documentation or in accordance to the law.
As an investigation process, the team is making the rounds of some major local institutions such as Gram Panchayat office, local police station, Dharmasthala temple premises and SIT (Special Investigation Team) office. Senior Superintendent of Police Yuvaraj is heading the probe going through decades of files of unnatural death cases in the area.
The workers of the sanitation and other known personnel thought to have information about the supposed incidents are giving statements. Police sources say that the investigation should take four or five days as several testimonies and paperwork will be looked at closely.
In a rather repulsive allegation, one of the witnesses, a once sanitation worker claimed to have been coerced to bury countless bodies- most of whom were women and minors- during several years. His quote implies that such burials could have been carried out outside the law and this instills fears of potential failure of human rights and structural failures.
There has been a high degree of attention on the visit of the NHRC team with locals and activists tracking the proceedings. It has been guaranteed by the authorities that the issue would be thoroughly investigated and steps needed to be taken in case it is proved true. The investigation should bring some clarity to one of the most disturbing accusations that the region has dealt with over the past few years, and there could be serious legal and administrative implications.
Join our whatsapp group for Latest updates
Click Here for Chhattisgarh News
Click Here for Entertainment News