A former sanitation worker from Dharmasthala has filed a shocking complaint alleging that over 100 women and girls were sexually assaulted, murdered, and secretly buried between 1998 and 2014. The complaint, submitted on June 3, includes disturbing photographs of skeletal remains and details of the brutal crimes.
A week later, the whistleblower, whose identity remains protected, testified before a local court, appearing completely covered except for a transparent slit over his eyes. Employed by the Dharmasthala temple administration until 2014, the Dalit worker claimed he was repeatedly threatened and forced to dispose of bodies at various concealed locations, including near the Netravathi River.
One account described a schoolgirl buried in 2010 with her uniform partially missing and visible signs of violence. Another involved a woman whose face was disfigured with acid before being set on fire. The worker claims he fled in 2014 after a relative was assaulted and has since lived in hiding across states.
Now, back and willing to identify burial sites and perpetrators, he seeks protection under the Witness Protection Act, fearing for his safety. He has provided a sealed list of alleged offenders to a Supreme Court advocate for safekeeping.
Public pressure is mounting. With connections to the powerful Dharmasthala temple administration suspected, activists, families, and legal professionals are pushing for an impartial Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe.
The reemergence of this case has rekindled painful memories of the unresolved 2012 Sowjanya murder and questions surrounding decades of silence and possible cover-ups.