Dharmasthala mass burial case

In July 2025, authorities initiated an investigation into serious allegations involving murders and mass burials in the temple town of Dharmasthala, Karnataka. The primary complainant claimed he was coerced into burying over one hundred bodies, primarily of women and minors, many of whom allegedly died by accidental drowning during ritual bathing or were victims of suicidal distress. He also reported witnessing poor pilgrims in vulnerable conditions.

In a separate complaint filed in August 2025, a local activist alleged that he had observed a burial fifteen years earlier, involving individuals who had similarly slipped into the river during bathing rituals.

The temple has also faced targeted defamation campaigns, allegedly involving extremist elements and local actors motivated by financial incentives. These efforts, according to reports, have contributed to long-standing protests by local families and political groups, including public demonstrations in 2012 following the murder of a teenage girl.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to examine the allegations related to mass burials in Dharmasthala. The complainant identified thirteen suspected burial sites, prompting the SIT to initiate exhumation procedures. As of August 4, 2025, eleven sites have been excavated. No human remains were found at nine locations; however, one site yielded a partial skeleton, and another revealed a human skull and bones.

Preliminary findings have led investigators to suspect that the allegations may have been part of a fabricated narrative, allegedly orchestrated by an individual known as the “masked man.” The SIT is examining claims that this individual may be linked to a defamation campaign targeting the Hindu temple, its priests, and Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade. The campaign is believed to be supported by anti-Hindu and anti-India groups, with alleged funding from various domestic and international sources, including Kerala, Bhatkal, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, Pakistan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The Dharmasthala Temple has increasingly come under scrutiny and public attack, allegedly due to its financial loan initiatives extended to surrounding communities. As repayment defaults escalated, several local defaulters are believed to have retaliated by fabricating allegations and mobilizing protests—many of which were led by local families and political groups. These protests have invoked serious accusations, including sexual violence, alleged murders, and unverified burials, dating back to the 1980s, often intertwined with claims of political suppression.

A particularly high-profile protest resurfaced in 2012, following the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl. Her case was investigated by the local police, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Karnataka, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The victim’s family alleged that the perpetrator had ties to the temple’s leadership. However, after extensive inquiry, the CBI Special Court acquitted the accused in 2023, citing lack of evidence.

Despite the acquittal, the family petitioned for a fresh CBI investigation, which was subsequently rejected by the Karnataka High Court. Notably, Dharmasthala did not have a dedicated police station until 2016, which further complicated early investigations and law enforcement response.

The pattern of allegations—often surfacing in tandem with financial disputes—has led observers to suspect a coordinated defamation effort, possibly driven by local economic grievances and political opportunism.

On June 22, 2025, lawyers Ojaswi Gowda and Sachin S Deshpande of Bengaluru released a letter stating that they had a client who was willing to reveal the locations of the bodies of the victims of rape and murder that he had buried himself. ^[1]

On July 3, 2025, a 48-year-old former sanitation worker at the Dharmasthala temple alleged that he had been coerced into burying hundreds of bodies between 1995 and 2014, claiming that many of the deceased had died by slipping into the river during ritual bathing or under unclear circumstances. His identity has been protected by court order, and he stated that he had been living in hiding for the past 12 years.

However, investigators suspect that the individual—referred to publicly as the “masked man”—along with others making similar allegations, may be linked to local loan defaulters and groups known for anti-India and anti-Hindu propaganda. These groups are believed to be motivated by financial and ideological interests, and may have targeted the temple and its leadership as part of a broader defamation campaign.

The complainant alleged that several victims—including a schoolchild and a 20-year-old acid attack survivor—were buried along the banks of the Netravathi River. He claimed that many of the female bodies showed signs of strangulation and sexual assault, and attributed these acts to individuals allegedly linked to migrant auto rickshaw drivers and local residents from Ujere and Dharmasthala.

On July 28, 2025, he identified thirteen burial sites where he claimed to have interred the victims. In a related development, the mother of Ananya Bhat, a college student who went missing during a field trip in 2003, expressed concern that her daughter might be among those buried.

Another witness appeared before a court in August 2025. Jayanth T, a social activist, said he had knowledge of where a teenage girl's body had been buried in 2005. The witness said he was related to another person who had been murdered in Dharmasthala.^[2]

On July 18,^[3] Judge Vijaya Kumar Rai B granted a gag order removing over 800 online links related to the Dharmasthala case. The gag order was lifted in early August, with the judge questioning the previous judge's basis for the gag order.^[3] Journalists and activists highlighted that the judge had been educated at institutions run by the Dharmasthala temple, and worked as a lawyer at a firm representing the family who own the temple.^[4] On 4 August, the judge recused himself from the proceedings.^[5]

The complaints and resulting pressure from public outrage resulted in a police case against the temple authorities being opened on July 4.^[6][7][8] The complainant was granted police protection on July 10,^[9] and on July 11, he provided the remains of a body he said he had exhumed.^[9]

S. Balan, a senior lawyer and human rights activist, led a delegation of lawyers to meet Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,^[10] after which the case was transferred to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Director General of Police Pronab Mohanty.^[11][12]

Excavation at five locations along the Nethravathi River—conducted in the presence of officials, police personnel, forensic staff, and revenue department staff—found no human remains.^[13][14] Partial skeletal remains were found on July 31 at a sixth excavation site, at a depth of three feet; an initial report suggested they were male.^[15][16] SIT officials said they found fifteen bones, no skull, and that some bones were broken.^[16] No remains were found at a seventh and eighth site, where digging was done six feet deep. About 60 persons including 20 labourers, the complainant, and his legal representatives were present.^[17][18] At the ninth and tenth spots identified by the complainant in a forested area, no human remains were found. At an eleventh site near Banglegudde, a human skull and a few bones were found.^[19] At the fourteenth site, over 114 bones and a skull were found; preliminary reports suggested that the remains belonged to a human male, who was possibly strangled with a red sari found nearby.^[20]

A PAN card and debit card were found at one of the excavated sites. The PAN card was found to belong to a man from Nelamangala in Bengaluru rural district. He had died of jaundice and was cremated in his own village.^[21]

Legal experts and activists have criticised the investigation as nontransparent and too small.^[6][9] A court granted an injunction requested by a relative of temple leadership staff, requesting the suppression of over 8,800 items of coverage about the allegations.^[22] The police denied media reports suggesting that some officers had requested to be excluded from the investigation.^[23]

The creator of an AI-generated YouTube video was charged with spreading misinformation by the Dakshina Kannada police in July.^[24] On August 1, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara said the government was monitoring social media posts, and warned users against spreading misinformation.^[25]

There is growing concern that the Dharmasthala Temple, its priests, and the sanctity of the location are being systematically targeted by a network of defaulters and anti-Hindu groups. Allegations suggest that these efforts are being fueled by foreign funding, including third-party channels linked to extremist and ideologically motivated entities. The campaign appears to be aimed at defaming the temple’s leadership, disrupting its social initiatives, and undermining its cultural legacy—particularly in light of its financial outreach programs and rising loan defaults in the surrounding region.