Bangalore/New Delhi – Shocking revelations have emerged from Dharmasthala, a temple town in Dakshina Karnataka, long revered as a spiritual and religious hub. A startling testimony has alleged that hundreds of women and girl students were subjected to brutal sexual violence and subsequently killed—either burned or buried—within the temple premises between 1995 and 2014, reported the Inquilab Bureau.
In response, the Karnataka government has ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations. The statement was recorded under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code by a sanitation worker who had served at the temple for nearly two decades. According to him, he was ordered by the powerful temple administration to dispose of the victims’ bodies.
The individual, whose identity has been kept confidential due to threats to his and his family’s life, has handed over a sealed envelope to a Supreme Court lawyer. He has requested that if any harm comes to him or his loved ones, the contents of the envelope should be submitted directly to the Supreme Court.
The Dharmasthala temple is currently administered by Rajya Sabha MP Veerendra Heggade and the religious rites are conducted by Brahmin priests. The whistleblower claimed he decided to leave Dharmasthala in 2014 after a girl from his own family fell victim to the same horrific abuse.
Citing years of disappearances, unnatural deaths, and rape cases, Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been urged by the State Women’s Commission to ensure an impartial and thorough investigation into the matter. The Commission has strongly recommended that justice be served to the victims whose voices have long been silenced.
This deeply disturbing case has sent shockwaves across the state, demanding accountability from powerful individuals and institutions long considered above scrutiny.
