Dharmasthala Temple Calls for Transparent SIT Probe into Mass Burial Allegations

Mangaluru, July 20, 2025: The Dharmasthala Temple administration has issued a statement urging the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a thorough and transparent probe into allegations of mass burials in the Dharmasthala police station limit, as announced by spokesperson K. Parshwanath Jain. This controversy has sparked nationwide discussions and is based on a former sanitation worker's assertions of being coerced into disposing of numerous bodies, purportedly including rape and murder victims, over the span of two decades from 1995 to 2014. In light of public protest and pressure from advocacy groups, such as the Karnataka State Women Commission, the Karnataka govt entrusted the case to an SIT headed by DGP Pronab Mohanty on July 19.

Statement from Dharmasthala Temple

A case was recently registered at the Dharmasthala police station claiming that “several dead bodies were buried,” which has sparked widespread debate, speculations, and confusion at the national level in recent days. In light of our expectations, as well as that of the general public, for a fair and transparent investigation, it is understood that the State Government has transferred the case to a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Truth and belief are the strongest foundation for a society’s ethics and faith. Therefore, it is our sincere hope and earnest demand that the SIT conducts the highest level of investigation in this case and brings out true facts to light. - K. Parshwanath Jain, Spokesperson, Dharmasthala

Also Read| Timeline of Dharmasthala case From Whistleblower to Women’s Commission’s SIT Plea

SIT Probe to Uncover Truth

The temple’s recent communication underscores the imperative of truth and justice, affirming, "The bedrock of a society's moral fabric is truth and belief." In response to the troubling allegations, the management has voiced optimism regarding the Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by senior IPS officers M N Anucheth, Soumyalatha, and Jitendra Kumar Dayama. This SIT is expected to shed light on the disturbing claims made by a former Dalit sanitation employee. The whistleblower accused that he was compelled under the threat of death to discard bodies, several exhibiting indications of sexual assault and brutality, in the vicinity of the Netravathi River and various other locations. The religious institution is urging the SIT to meticulously investigate these assertions without any omission, with the aim of upholding justice.
Also Read| Who is Pronab Mohanty IPS : Karnataka’s DGP Leading High-Profile Investigations

Public Outrage and Past Cases

The allegations have reignited memories of unresolved cases like the 2012 Sowjanya rape-murder and the 2003 disappearance of medical student Ananya Bhat, whose mother believes her daughter may be among the victims. The complainant, who fled Dharmasthala in 2014 after an alleged assault on a family member, recently submitted skeletal remains and photographic evidence to the Belthangady court, intensifying calls for a high-level probe. While BJP MLA Arvind Bellad dismissed the claims as “baseless,” public and legal pressure, including from retired Supreme Court judge V Gopala Gowda, led to the SIT’s formation. The investigation will also examine missing persons and unnatural death cases across Karnataka over the past two decades. 

Keywords: Dharmasthala Temple, SIT probe, mass burial case, Karnataka news, sexual assault allegations, Netravathi River, whistleblower, Sowjanya case, Ananya Bhat, temple administration, investigation, justice, Karnataka government