Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady

Beltangady, May 14: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the state government to probe the alleged burial of a body in Dharmasthala has left behind a trail of unpaid bills. Workers, JCB owners, and local vendors who assisted in the extensive excavation operation are yet to receive their payments, with the total pending dues crossing Rs 2 lac.

It may be recalled that the SIT had brought a 'mask man' named Chinnayya to Dharmasthala to guide the search. Based on his claims, the team marked specific spots and dug up pits at 17 different locations in search of the alleged buried remains.

The heavy excavation operation required a JCB, which was engaged for ten days. The JCB owner subsequently submitted a bill of Rs 71,500 for the services rendered, but the amount has not yet been disbursed.

In addition to the machinery, 10 to 12 daily wage labourers worked tirelessly every day to assist the SIT officials during the search. The total pending wages for these workers have mounted to over Rs 80,000. Deprived of their daily livelihood, the poor labourers are now reportedly running from pillar to post, pleading for their hard-earned money.

Furthermore, the bills for various logistics and arrangements made for the SIT camp remain uncleared. This includes the cost of erecting a shamiana (tent) for the officials, purchasing manual tools like spades and pickaxes, supplying drinking water bottles, and hiring vehicles to transport the labourers to the site.

In total, bills amounting to over Rs 2 lac have been kept pending, leaving the local workers, machinery owners, and vendors in financial distress despite their full cooperation with the state investigation.