Dharmasthala Mass Burial Case in Spotlight Amid Ongoing SIT Raids, Rising Political Tensions, and Temple Controversy

Key Points:

The Dharmasthala mass burial case took a new turn on 26 August 2025, when the Special Investigation Team (SIT) searched the residence of activist Mahesh Shetty Thimmarody in Ujire, Karnataka. Investigators, armed with a court warrant, were accompanied by whistleblower C.N. Chinnayya, who was earlier arrested for perjury. Officials said Thimmarody had sheltered Chinnayya for nearly two months, and the raid aimed at collecting evidence linked to the ongoing case.

The controversy began when Chinnayya, a former sanitation worker, alleged that between the 1990s and mid-2010s, he was forced to bury several bodies in Dharmasthala, including those of women who showed signs of sexual assault. He claimed the temple administration and his supervisor threatened him to bury these bodies and were thus involved. But the case weakened after police revealed that the skull he presented as evidence was fake, leading to his arrest on charges of perjury.

Chinnayya’s credibility has been further questioned. His ex-wife, Rathnamma, accused him of being a habitual liar and domestic abuser. She said he invented the story for money. Villagers from his hometown of Chikkaballi echoed these claims, saying he was known to “do anything for money” and had a history of failed marriages.

Political Tensions Rise

Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra has demanded that the investigation be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He also announced a “Dharmasthala Chalo” agitation starting September 1. He accused the Congress government of mishandling the case. Congress leaders, however, insist the SIT is capable of conducting a fair investigation.

Adding to the confusion, the role of DIG M.N. Anucheth—appointed to supervise the SIT—has been questioned after it was revealed that he is on leave from 19 to 31 August for an event. Officials clarified that he had obtained permission before the SIT was formally set up on July 19, but opposition parties have seized on this as a sign of negligence.

The SIT is also investigating other linked complaints. Sujata Bhat, who claimed that her daughter, medical student Ananya Bhat, disappeared from Dharmasthala temple in 2003, appeared before investigators this week. However, her statements have been contradictory. At one point, she denied having any daughter, saying she was pressured into making a false complaint due to a property dispute. She later retracted that denial, creating further confusion around the case.

The SIT’s search for human remains has also raised doubts. Out of 13 or more sites dug up based on Chinnayya’s claims, skeletal fragments were found in only two locations. Some men who once worked with Chinnayya have also given contradictory accounts when questioned.

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Supporters of Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade have alleged a “larger conspiracy” to malign him and the temple institution. Heggade has dismissed the allegations as baseless and described them as an “attack on Hindu religious institutions.” Speaking at a gathering, he said devotees had been distressed by the accusations but welcomed the arrest of Chinnayya, adding that “the truth is beginning to come out.” He expressed faith that justice would prevail once the investigation concluded.

The Karnataka government has echoed this stance. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar reiterated that the government is committed to justice and not politics. Home Minister G. Parameshwara added that if the SIT finds the allegations false, legal action would follow against those responsible for fabricating the claims.

The BJP, however, continues to press for an NIA probe. Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka has alleged a religious conversion angle, insisting that “real conspirators” behind Chinnayya must be exposed. He and BJP state president Vijayendra both accused international and national media of amplifying a “slander campaign” against Dharmasthala and claimed foreign funds were being used to fuel the controversy.

The SIT has also expanded its net to include others linked to the case. Police have issued a notice to YouTuber M.D. Sameer, who is under investigation for spreading provocative content related to the controversy. Sameer, who was granted anticipatory bail on August 21, has been accused of uploading videos that spread misinformation and disturbed public order. The court has directed him to cooperate with the investigation and avoid inflammatory statements.

For now, the SIT continues its probe, caught between conflicting witness statements, allegations of conspiracy, and mounting political pressure. While the case has attracted nationwide attention, the truth behind the disturbing claims of multiple murders and burials in Dharmasthala remains unresolved.

Background

The temple town of Dharmasthala in Karnataka has been shaken by a shocking controversy after Chinnayya came forward with claims of mass burials and murders. In July, the 48-year-old Dalit man, who once worked at the temple between 1995 and 2014, alleged that for nearly two decades he had been forced to bury and burn the bodies of women, many of whom he believed were raped and murdered before being dumped.

He said he was beaten and threatened, told that if he refused, he too would be killed and buried with the others. His testimony included disturbing details: in one instance around 2010, he said he buried a schoolgirl between 12 and 15 years old, still in uniform but missing her undergarments, with marks of strangulation on her body. According to him, he was told to bury her along with her school bag.

By 2014, he said the mental torture of this work became unbearable, especially after a girl from his own family was harassed by someone close to the temple authorities. That was the breaking point. He fled Dharmasthala with his family in December 2014 and for years they lived in hiding across different cities, constantly afraid of being tracked down. When he finally decided to go public, he appeared in court wearing all black, covering his entire body with only his eyes visible, saying he could no longer carry the guilt of covering up murders.

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He even claimed to have exhumed a skeleton himself and handed it to the police and court as proof. The SIT dug up 13 alleged burial sites he showed them, but remains were recovered from only two. Around a hundred bone fragments were collected, which experts said belonged to just one or two bodies. Forensic tests are still underway, and the case has been described as one of the largest forensic-driven investigations in India.

The case has also played out in the media and courts. At one point, a local court in Belthangady banned media coverage after a petition from the whistleblower’s brother. However, the Supreme Court quickly overturned the gag order, emphasising that the freedom of the press could not be curbed in this way. Meanwhile, the Dharmasthala temple authority, headed by Veerendra Heggade, denied any wrongdoing but stated they welcomed a fair investigation.

The controversy has reopened older wounds. Dharmasthala has a history of mysterious deaths, disappearances, and unsolved cases. In 1987, there were protests after the rape and murder of 17-year-old Padmalata. In 2012, another wave of outrage followed the rape and killing of Sowjanya, a teenager whose case remains unresolved to this day. Families like that of medical student Ananya Bhat, who went missing in 2003, have also raised their voices, saying the town has long been haunted by unanswered questions and suspicions of cover-ups. For them, the whistleblower’s story, even if now disputed, reopened long-suppressed fears.

As the SIT continues its work, the case has become a political flashpoint between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP. The BJP has accused Congress of defaming the temple and has demanded an NIA probe, while the Congress insists the SIT is capable of handling the matter. Karnataka’s Home Minister G. Parameshwara has cautioned against politicising the issue.

For now, the truth remains uncertain. The skeletal remains are still being examined, the whistleblower is behind bars, and families of past victims are once again demanding justice. Whether the claims of mass burials and murders will prove to be fact or fabrication, the Dharmasthala case has already shaken faith in one of Karnataka’s most powerful institutions and revived painful questions about missing women, unsolved crimes, and the uneasy silence that has surrounded the temple town for decades. [Rh/VP]

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