Daijiworld Media Network - Belthangady
Belthangady, Aug 10: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing sensational claims that hundreds of bodies were buried atop Dharmasthala’s Ratnagiri Hill, once again came up empty-handed on Sunday after an exhaustive excavation at a site flagged by an anonymous source as “Point 16.”
Despite the informer earlier identifying 13 alleged burial points, the SIT has focused instead on locations marked 15 and 16. On Sunday, the team dug 16 separate pits — each nearly 30 feet wide and 10 feet deep — across the rocky hilltop. The effort, which lasted several hours, yielded only stones and mud, with no human skeletal remains or material evidence.
The digging was conducted at an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet above sea level, and included thorough excavations near dry tree stumps and rugged patches. After nearly seven hours of intense labour at “Point 16” and “Point 16(a),” the search was halted without any significant find.
Over the past 11 days, the SIT has dug at more than 16 different locations on Ratnagiri Hill — each leading to the same result: no trace of human remains. Sunday’s efforts have further intensified the mystery, as public speculation and political pressure continue to mount.
Opposition leaders have now urged authorities to extract clearer leads from the anonymous whistleblower, whose tip-offs triggered the ongoing probe. With no breakthroughs so far, the SIT has paused operations and is expected to resume its search on Monday at a fresh site.
The mystery surrounding the alleged burials remains unresolved, and the spotlight stays firmly on the SIT’s next course of action.