At the beginning of July, a man who previously worked as a sanitary worker at Manjunatha Swamy Temple DharmasthalaKarnataka claimed to bury hundreds of women, men and children. On August 23, the same man was arrested by the special examination team for myid in terms of this case. What developments in this case led to the arrest of a whistleblower? Since the complainant submitted his allegations, the case has become a point of dispute between the political parties within Karnataka. It has also led to inquiries to visit old, unsolved cases of disappearance and murders in and around Dharmasthala.
The confessions of the “masked man”
The man, whose identity was unveiled as Chennayya, turned to the police on July 3 to submit a complaint. He claimed that in his almost twenty years (1995-2014) as a cleaner for the Dharmasthala temple, he was forced to bury hundreds of bodies, especially those of women and minors who have signs of sexual assault. Be opinion said that he submits the complaint because he is no longer able to bear the extreme guilt of his actions.
Source: Fii
As part of his daily tasks, he cleaned near the Nethravathi River, which flows next to the Dharmasthala Temple. During this time he noticed that bodies in the river, that of women and young girls with signs of strangulation. He mentioned that he received death threats that he would bury next to the corpses if he hadn’t told. He also spoke about the murders of central men in the Temple City, which was said to take place in his presence.
The masked man, as he was called before his arrest, fled from Dharmasthala in 2014 after one of his own family members was sexually harassed. He claimed that the temple superiors were involved and they were also those who threatened him and his family and forced him to become part of the mass cover. Now he claims that he has reported to offer peace to all dead so that they can get real funeral rites.
After his complaint, the man received protection within the framework of the witness protection system.
After his complaint, the man received protection within the framework of the witness protection system. As proof of the mass murders and mass burial, the masked man produced a human skull that he exhumed in court. He also claimed that he knew the places of 13 locations where corpses were buried. On July 14th, the chairman of the State Women’s Commission, Nagalakshmi Chowdary, Siddaramiah, the Prime Minister, asked the matter to continue the matter in order to further investigate the matter. After the actions of several activists, a sit was founded on July 19 and officially took over the investigation.
Reactions to the investigation
The team examined the graves mentioned by the man, but bone fragments were only found on two of the locations. These remains were sent to the forensic laboratory together with the human skull he had and soil samples from other places for tests. G Parameshwara, Karnataka’s Interior Minister, said that Sit could only continue his investigation after the results.
Source: Fii
It is still unclear to whom the bones belong and many accuse the sanitary staff and claim that his allegations are part of a conspiracy to defamate the temple. The Dharmadhikari of the temple, Veerendra Heggade, welcomed the formation of the SIT and said that the temple administration was completely open, transparent and willing to cooperate. He hoped that the investigation would soon be complete and called the allegations Incorrect and unfounded. Heggade also said that the conspiracy against the Dharmasthala management is not new and referred to as “organized campaign”.
Political series: Congress and opposition to the Dharmasthala case
Against this background, the political parties converted this case into a row. The BJP leaders, including BJP Karnataka President of Vijayendra, call the case a smear campaign. When Vijayendra agreed to form the SIT, she accused the state government to try it Extend the probe And called it a propaganda. BJP plans to carry out a Dharma Yatra to support the Temple Administration on September 1. In addition, Vijayendra claimed that many supporters are upset that the wrong propaganda is carried out against the temple.
In response to these comments, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Karnataka’s Minister of Health, said BJP was trying to play a double game. Say that the entire case propaganda against the Dharmasthala temple, DK Shivakumar, the deputy cm of Karnataka, was actually accused of being bjp Behind this smear campaign. He criticized BJP’s plan to gather in Dharmasthala, and asked them not to pull a follower into this. He also asked the Dharmadhikari of the temple not to be influenced by political games.
Credibility uncertain: sitting
In the midst of this chaos, the complainant was arrested on August 23 for mone. The man, who had previously been dressed in public and covered almost his whole face, was now unveiled as Chennayya. He was arrested by SIT and taken into police custody for ten days. After his arrest, he was also questioned by the head of the SIT, Pranab Mohanty. Officials said that Chennayya was arrested due to inconsistencies in his statements and the evidence he proves provided.
Officials said that Chennayya was arrested due to inconsistencies in his statements and the evidence he proves provided.
In addition, after his arrest, his wife and villagers claimed that he was a Habitual. Therefore, this case has become even more complex and more difficult to disguise, especially without feelings that threaten to become further roadblocks in the event of the case.
Long history of crimes in Dharmasthala
During the developments of this case, many families from other victims registered and asked the authorities to visit their cases again. The first such case can be dated to the 1980s. The attention of the “mass grave” case has caused people to again demand justice for Soviet, a 17 -year -old who was brutally raped and killed in 2012. The sole defendant in her case was acquitted in 2023 due to a lack of evidence.
Source: Fii
In another case, Sujatha Bhat, whose daughter Ananya Bhat was missing in 2003. Submitted a new complaint After the revelations of the whistleblower. She said that she wants peace for her daughter, and Chennayya’s knowledge of the graves gives her hope. She also mentioned that she had previously been discouraged by the persecution of justice for her daughter. Interestingly, she later raised her statement and argued that she invented the history of her daughter’s disappearance. She claimed that she was forced to submit such an explanation.
The Dharmasthala case started with a single complaint that threatened to present a massive, terrible history of crime in a famous temple city. It led to a landslide that invited a number of religious, political and other interventions. Despite the promise of fairness and transparency (from the investigation team and the civil servants examined), the picture does not meet perfectly. The arrest of the whistleblower and the lack of cohesion in its own statements further complicit. In addition, the claims of Sujatha Bhat only become the voices that call this as a compression campaign. Now the nature of the truth itself is unclear. The Dharmasthala case clearly underlines the roadblocks present on the way to justice in India. Every few days, a new curve ball creates a hurdle to investigate alleged cruel crimes against hundreds of people, including women and children in Dharmasthala. In the future, only a fair and transparent examination can reveal.