Dharmasthala soil has finally spoken up. On the third day of digging, investigators have found partial remains of a man at spot number six near the Nethravati river. This is one of the 13 spots identified by the whistleblower in the case, a former sanitation worker from Dharmasthala. By the time this episode is aired on The News Minute, more digging might have progressed and more skeletal remains may or may not have been found. Which is why in this show, I will focus on what the future scenarios can be. I know there are thousands of videos on what's happening here in Dharmasthala for you to watch. So we will look at a few unexplored angles, including the data on suicides from the region and ask the question, what else lies beneath the secret soil of Dharmasthala? This is Let Me Explain Here at The News Minute , we've been on ground talking to families, talking to sources, police officials, administrators, and keeping you ahead. We've chosen to look at what many people have ignored. This kind of journalism takes time, money, and most importantly, navigation through legal hurdles. We don't rely on clickbait journalism or sensationalism. Because we know that you, our viewers, value the kind of journalism which is responsible and sensitive. We will give you accurate information, but we can't do this without you. On our part, we will keep up to this commitment. And I know that you won't let us down. So if you're not already a subscriber of The News Minute and Newslaundry, become one right away. And if you already are one, then do consider contributing to our reporting fund. Dharmasthala probe began after the man who's now been called Bhima claimed that between 1995 and 2014, he buried several bodies, allegedly those of women and girls who appear to have been sexually assaulted. While the Special Investigation Team did first, was to confirm that this man was indeed from the area, and that this family had a house here. At the start of the exhumation, there could have been two outcomes. One, if nothing was found, then the complainant, who is the whistle blower, could face serious legal consequences, including a criminal case. But now that skeletal remains have been uncovered, that which is three feet under the surface at the spot that he himself identified, his allegations can no longer be dismissed as easily. Over the next few days, if more remains are found, then this case grows more serious. Now, the next step for the investigators is to identify who the recovered remains belong to. And here's the big challenge. A DNA test can only match if there are living relatives to compare the samples with. There are very few missing person complaints from Dharmasthala. The SIT will go through public records, but they're hoping that more people will come forward with complaints. Now, even if there is a match, the investigators will need to determine how this person died. Was it sexual assault, murder or suicide? And if it is a crime, the next question is who committed it? It's a painstaking process. This case feels like a tipping point, because Dharmasthala has been carrying the weight of these questions for many years now. The people of Dharmasthala have been seeing news reports of bodies being found in and around the temple, particularly at Snana Ghatta - the bathing ghat on the river Nethravati. Worried by these reports, Somanath Nayak, who is an activist, decided to dig deeper. He filed RTI applications at the Belthangady police station seeking police records. Between 2001 and October 2012, police records show 451 suicides across just these two villages. Of this one, 180 people were unidentified. My colleague Anisha Sheth went through these reports which cover not just Dharmasthala, but also the neighboring village of Ujjire. In places and areas around the temple premises itself, in lodges or on the hills and even near the main temple gate, there were 99 suicides according to the police. Of this, 49 suicides happened in and around, not just like Netravati, Ganga, Gangotri, Vaishali Sharavati, and Saket. Of these 99 suicides, 49 were unidentified men and 41 were identified men. 5 were identified women. 4 were unidentified women. But the single biggest cluster of deaths, again all recorded by the police as suicide, were found at three broad locations connected to the river. 157 bodies were found in and around the Snana Ghatta and the river itself. 99 bodies were discovered at the Snana Ghatta and in the surrounding forest. 48 bodies were discovered at the Nethravati river, 10 bodies were discovered at the vented dam. The rest of the 195 bodies were found in other places of Dharmasthala, like in bus stops, and the rest were in Ujjire. So if a total of 451 people died by suicide here over nearly 12 years, that would work out to more than three suicides in a month in just these two villages. The police and the district administration here have always maintained that Dharmasthala is a place where troubled people come to end their lives. But when you look at these numbers and where the bodies were found, it's not difficult to understand why many villagers feel deeply uneasy, especially because many of these victims were never identified. All these deaths just add to the grim pattern that was never explained completely. But what Somanath Nayak said is true. People across the political and ideological spectrum have been demanding answers for years. Vishnumoorthy Bhatt an activist and former communist has been fighting on behalf of those families whose members were killed. Now, this is a question that will come up now. As we told you earlier, between 2001 and 2012 there were a total of 451 suicides that were recorded. The question is, were there other deaths that went unrecorded. Dharmasthala Grama Panchayat Vice President Srinivasa Rao told us that panchayat buried bodies even in forest areas, as the police instructed. This was a revealing interview and it opens up the panchayat to more questions. Even if the SIT does not find more bodies, the panchayat needs to be asked why they buried bodies in forest land. By now you've all seen visuals of this terrain. So you can imagine how much denser and more inaccessible it was around two decades ago. So is the Dharmasthala Panchayat claiming that they trekked dangerously to access this land and bury bodies there? And if yes, and if it is a forest area, did they take permission from the Forest Department? The questions do not end here Were post-mortems conducted on all these bodies? What if these people had families who were looking for them? And what if these families come forward today? Where are the burial records to identify them? The RTI reply that Somanath Nayak got did not mention the age of the people who died. Nor did it mention if they were sexually assaulted or raped. One can only hope that this crucial information is preserved somewhere in a hospital or police records. Because even when TV channels and journalists go away, there are many families that have to continue living without answers here. Last time we were here, we spoke to Sowjanya's mother. Then there was Padmalatha, who was a college student. Vishnumoorthy Bhatt was with Padmalatha’s family in 1986 when she went missing. Padamalatha went missing when she was returning from her college function in Ujjire. 56 days later, her skeletal remains were found on her hands and feet bound. No one was ever arrested, and the CID closed the case as untraceable. Her sister, Chandravati, believes Lata was raped and murdered. No matter what the exhumation uncovers, the road ahead won't be easy. Identifying the skeletal remains, piecing together what the cause of death could be, and holding someone accountable is a complex and uncertain journey. Many here believe that the chances of success in this are realistically very slim. But that said, people in Dharmasthala believe that this episode has already achieved something far deeper. It shattered the conspiracy of silence that had gripped the town for decades. And with that silence broken, many now hope that it will shine a new light on issues and injustices that have long been spoken about but have been ignored for far too long. Before I wrap up, here's a quick reminder that we have been hitting the ground here in Dharmasthala, bringing you stories and updates that are authentic and verified. We know that you trust in our journalism, but we need you to do a bit more. If you aren't a subscriber of The News Minute and Newslaundry already, what are you waiting for? Become one right away and make sure that you also contribute to our reporting fund.