Dakshina Kannada, July 12 -- In a key development in the Dharmasthala Mass Burials case, the complainant's statement was recorded today by the Principal Civil Judge and JMFC, Belthangady Taluk, Dakshina Kannada. The statement was taken under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS), which corresponds to Section 164 of the former Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

However, the process has raised concerns among the complainant's legal representatives, advocates Ojaswi Gowda and Sachin Deshpande. The advocates stated that they had "firmly and clearly instructed" the complainant that one of them should be present during the recording of the statement. They pointed out that the complainant is "illiterate, has never been to a Court be...