MANGALURU, 28 AUG

Kusumavati, mother of Sowjanya, a girl allegedly raped and murdered more than a decade ago, on Thursday submitted a fresh complaint to the SIT, which is probing allegations of multiple rapes, murders and burials in Dharmasthala.

Sowjanya, a 17-year-old college student, was allegedly raped and murdered on 9 October, 2012, in Dharmasthala — a case that remains unresolved. Despite a CBI probe and Supreme Court intervention, the real perpetrators remain scot-free.

The whistleblower claimed he had buried many bodies, including those of women with signs of sexual assault, in Dharmasthala over the past two decades, while hinting at the involvement of the temple administrators.

Kusumavati referred to statements given by the whistleblower’s sister, Ratna, who told the National Human Rights Commission that influential figures threatened him in 2014 over his knowledge of Sowjanya’s death, forcing him to leave Dharmasthala.

Kusumavati refers to some reports that allege one Ravi Poojari revealed the culprits’ names to the whistleblower and was later murdered, and called for the whistleblower’s narco-test.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka BJP demanded that the SIT probe should be "time-bound".

BJP State President BY Vijayendra said, "When the Congress government can register FIRs within 24 hours against Hindu workers who post anything against the government, why did it fail to register an FIR against the conspirators?"