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At a press conference held in Bengaluru’s Press Club on Thursday, July 17, retired Supreme Court judge Justice V Gopala Gowda, along with senior advocates and human rights activists, demanded a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the shocking allegations of rape, murder, and secret burials in Dharmasthala, Karnataka’s prominent temple town.
The allegations stem from the testimony of a former Dalit sanitation worker, who has claimed that he was forced to bury multiple victims of sexual violence and murder during his two-decade employment at the Dharmasthala temple.
Speaking to reporters, Justice Gowda said, “The witness and complainant has come forward and recorded a statement before a magistrate under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), where he has named those responsible for the crimes. He is the person who carried out the burials of victims who were raped and murdered. That information is already in the public domain.”
The retired judge expressed grave concern over the alleged lapses in the police investigation and said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been apprised of the situation through a detailed memorandum. “Despite such a damning statement and the registration of FIR, the investigation is not proceeding as per legal standards,” he said. “It is the cardinal duty of the police to assist and unearth the truth, especially when a witness has even undertaken the exhumation of one of the bodies,” he added.
The complainant, a Dalit man who worked as a sanitation worker with the Dharmasthala temple between 1995 and 2014, had filed a police complaint on July 3, alleging that for nearly two decades he was coerced to bury the bodies of victims — many of them women and children — who showed signs of sexual assault and violence. His duties, he said, began as routine cleaning work near the Netravati river, but turned into what he described as “covering up evidence of the most horrific crimes.”
In a chilling account, he said that he recently returned to Dharmasthala in secret and exhumed one of the bodies, and submitted both a photograph and the remains to the authorities. He has also offered to reveal the locations of other burial sites and assist in the investigation, but requested witness protection before naming the alleged perpetrators, who he claims are powerful individuals linked to the temple administration.
At the press conference, advocate Dr CS Dwarakanath, advocate Umapathi, advocate Sudha Katwa, and social activist T Narasimhamurthy reiterated the demand for an SIT led by a high-ranking police officer and monitored by a sitting or retired judge of the High Court or Supreme Court.
In their memorandum, the group alleged that despite the severity of the allegations, the investigation is currently being handled by a local Sub-Inspector under a Deputy SP, raising concerns about fairness and impartiality. “The crimes reported are of the gravest nature — mass rape, murder, and illegal burials — allegedly involving persons of high political and social influence. A local investigation lacks credibility,” the advocates said.
The group called for the following immediate measures:
Constitution of an SIT under an ADGP-rank officer and judicial monitoring
Comprehensive forensic support, including DNA and digital forensics
Video recording of the investigation process
Thorough crime scene analysis
Immediate arrests and custodial interrogation of suspects regardless of status
Justice Gowda added that the Karnataka CM had responded “positively” to their request, after consulting with senior police officials. “We hope and trust the Chief Minister will act urgently. The truth must come out. This is a matter of justice, not just for the victims but for society at large,” he said.
The Dharmasthala temple, dedicated to Lord Manjunatha, is visited by lakhs of devotees every year and is managed by the powerful Heggade family, which has long held significant religious and political sway in Karnataka.
The police have registered an FIR under Section 211(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, after court permission, and said that they are investigating in accordance with the law. However, activists and legal experts allege that crucial actions, including the timely exhumation of bodies, have been delayed or ignored.