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Dharmasthala is no piece of dark, Gothic fiction
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It is a chilling reality far beyond the realm of any imaginable horror ever
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And the darkest truth of all is that the temple itself lies at the heart of this macabre plot, with the finger of suspicion pointing at the custodians of the temple itself
From a place of worship and pilgrimage, the temple town of Dharmasthala, in Karnataka, has almost overnight turned into an evil location marked by horrific rape of schoolgirls, young women, gruesome murders, bestial assaults, and chilling coverups, only now beginning to surface after 15 years due to a whistle-blower’s troubled conscience.
The details of the sustained evil seem to mirror events straight out of dark Gothic novels that portrayed bloodied ritualistic rites, satanic practices and demonic abominations that could grip readers and make their flesh crawl.
But Dharmasthala is no piece of dark fiction. It is a chilling reality far beyond the realm of any imaginable horror ever. And the darkest truth of all is that the temple itself lies at the heart of this macabre plot, with the finger of suspicion pointing at the custodians of the temple itself.
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The whistle-blower in question, a sanitation worker was on the payroll of the shrine board
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He was forced to bury a total of over 100 girls and young women from time to time in mass graves, mostly along the banks of the Netravathi River where the bodies would not only remain undetected, but would also decompose much quicker in the soft, damp soil
In another incident, he had to bury a schoolgirl, aged between 12 and 15, in 2010 near a petrol bunk in Kalleri. The girl’s body, had shown marks of sexual assault and strangulation,
The temple authorities had threatened the sanitation worker they would kill him, cut him up into pieces and bury him just like the others. In December 14, the worker fled Karnataka and went into hiding in neighbouring states.
He said this happened immediately after a minor girl in his own family was allegedly sexually assaulted by someone linked to the alleged perpetrators..
His deep seep sense of guilt and renewed determination for justice, compelled him to return to Karnataka after staying in hiding for so long.
He has told police authorities that “If the exhumed bodies are given a proper funeral, the souls of the victims will find peace and my sense of guilt will also be reduced”.
The sanitation worker has offered to identify additional burial sites and name the perpetrators, but only under the protection guaranteed by the Witness Protection Act, 2018.
He claimed that some of the perpetrators in the rape-murders were linked to the temple administration and held considerable influence.
“Some of the persons I have named are very influential and have earlier eliminated those who opposed them,” he wrote, expressing fear for his life.
Legal counsel for the sanitation worker has confirmed that as an extra precaution, he has also submitted a sealed envelope naming the accused to the Supreme Court advocate KV Dhananjay, in the event that the sanitary worker is silenced or harmed.
The Dharmasthala is administered by a Jain Heggade family. Nominated Rajya Sabha MP Veerendra Heggade is the current hereditary administrator of the Dharmasthala Temple.
Finally after years of threats and intimidation, the whistleblower’s allegations have galvanised activists, families, and legal professionals for a fresh police probe.
Dharmasthala Timeline
July 16 – Advocates group meet Karnataka CM. seek SIT probe.
Request Appointment of ADGP-level officer to head
Probe.
July 15 – Fresh complaint lodged by 60-year-old Sujata Bhatt,
mother of Ananya Bhatt, murdered in 2003
July 14 – Head of Karnataka State Commission for Women,
Nagalakshmi Choudhary writes letter to CM on police
inaction.
July 13 – Whistle-blower appears in court, heavily cloaked from
Head to toe to protect his identity.
2014 – Whistle-blower/ Sanitation worker flees Karnataka
2012 – Rape/murder case of 17-year-old Sowjanya
2010 – Whistle-blower/ sanitation worker forced to bury
body of 12-15-year-old schoolgirl near Petrol Bunk in
Kaleri .
2003 – MBBS student Ananya Bhatt goes missing, the case
Still remains unsolved.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pravasi Samwad. Pravasi Samwad is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented.
