The technology is expected to help the SIT quickly detect any possible human remains. The current focus is on site 13, and a GPR unit from Bengaluru is likely to arrive at the location soon.
Published Aug 08, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 08, 2025 | 9:00 AM
Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, when asked about the usage of GPR, remained non-committal.
Synopsis: The Special Investigation Team probing burial claims in Dharmasthala, Karnataka, is reportedly set to deploy Ground Penetrating Radar technology at suspected dig sites to improve detection of human remains. Human skeletal remains have already been recovered from two of the 15 locations flagged by a whistleblower. GPR is designed to identify objects below the ground using targeted geo‐radar that penetrates the surface and reflects signals from underground materials.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing a whistleblower’s claim that hundreds of bodies were buried in Dharmasthala in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district has reportedly decided to deploy Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology to accelerate investigations at the dig sites.
So far, the team has found human remains in and around two of the 15 sites originally indicated by the whistleblower. However, there have been growing calls for the use of GPR to improve precision.
The technology is expected to help the team quickly detect any possible human remains. The current focus is on site 13, and a GPR unit from Bengaluru is likely to arrive at the location soon.
Earlier in the day, Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, when asked about the usage of GPR, remained non-committal.
“Some people are saying the SIT is conducting the probe properly. Others are saying it’s not effective. Everyone has suggestions, some say we should bring in radar. Is it possible to investigate just the way they suggest?” he said.
“Our police are capable and will do their job. The government will not interfere or give directions in the SIT’s investigation.”
GPR is designed to identify objects below the ground using targeted geo‐radar that penetrates the surface and reflects signals from underground materials.
In simple terms, a GPR sends electromagnetic waves into the ground. These waves bounce back when they encounter a change in material, such as bones. The reflections are then analysed to generate an image of what lies beneath the surface.
It is a non-invasive tool that allows experts to “pinpoint suspicious anomalies” and map the subsurface. However, to confirm whether an anomaly is a human skeleton, an exhumation is required.
“Depending on the depth needed to be investigated, the antenna is important,” an expert on GPR technology based in New Delhi to South First on condition of anonymity.
“If you want to go deeper to find what is there, it depends on the antenna frequency. If you use a 1.5 GHz antenna, the maximum scan depth is 1.5 metres and the clear resolution is 700mm.”
However, the terrain at the digging sites in Dharmasthala, inside the forest area near the Nethravathi bathing ghat, may present challenges. “If there is more porosity, then this will lead to stronger reflections affecting the depth of penetration,” he added.
The use of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) has become more widespread by disaster and relief teams across the country in recent years, especially by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Forces (SDRFs).
Dr Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, in a written reply dated 6 August to Parliament on earthquakes and GPR technology, said the Centre is continuously working on enhancing its operational readiness, and that GPR and related technologies form a core part of that initiative.
“The Government is continuously working on enhancing its operational readiness and timely deployment of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and related geophysical equipment for search and rescue purposes, detecting voids and buried objects, assessing structural damage, and understanding the earthquake’s impact on the subsurface following the occurrence of an earthquake,” the response reads.
“In a recent landslide rescue operation in Lachen, Sikkim, the Indian Army utilized drone-mounted GPR to locate potential victims buried under debris… The drone-mounted GPR helped identify two sub-surface anomalies at depths of 0.76 metres and 0.015 metres to support rescue operations,” he added.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
