Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade on Tuesday, August 19, for the first time, responded to the allegations made by the whistleblower regarding the mass burials. Heggade said he was deeply hurt by them and described them as “baseless.”
“These issues were baseless. I was really hurt by this type of allegations on me because my devotees have immense faith in me and they have no doubt about the Kshetra or me and they are always agitated by such allegations thrown on me and they were really hurt by the way it was presented. So it was totally baseless and totally, I think it was not a moral way to fight with us.” Heggade told PTI.
Explaining his family’s involvement in managing temple institutions, he said, “I have three brothers and one sister. My second brother, based in Bengaluru, takes care of educational institutions. My third brother here handles administrative aspects in my absence — arrangements at the Dharmasthala, food, rooms, cleanliness, and Yakshagana. The other two brothers are independent. My sister is married, and her husband is Vice-Chancellor of Dharwad Medical College, which is now a university.”
On the government’s decision to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT), Heggade said, “We welcomed it on the very first day. Many doubts and confusion were created in the minds of our devotees. If a proper investigation clears those doubts, it is a good decision of the government to form an investigation team and find a solution.”
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing claims by a former sanitation worker who has alleged that he was forced to bury several bodies in Dharmasthala, including those of women and girls who appeared to be sexually assaulted. So far, skeletal remains have been recovered at two of the 17 locations the police have excavated.