The Dharmasthala Exposé: Uncovering the Horrors on Karnataka’s Sacred Riverbanks

In the sprawling landscape of Karnataka, where the sacred and the daily intermingle, chilling allegations have surfaced that threaten to shake the very foundations of faith and society. The so-called “Dharmasthala Case” is not just a local scandal—it is an unnerving story that affects the conscience of all who have come to know of it. For those who have only heard whispers or read headlines, the real story is more haunting than fiction, beckoning for justice while sending waves of terror through ordinary citizens and powerful influencers alike.

The heart of the storm is an anguished complaint, filed by a man who once worked as a cleaner and laborer along the banks of the Netravati river in the temple town of Dharmasthala. His long, sorrowful testimony opens a window into nearly two decades of systematic and deeply disturbing events. After hearing his account, no one can remain untouched.

The complainant’s current ordeal began in 1995, when he first started working near the river. At that time, his duties were simple: cleaning up the banks and maintaining the hygiene of the area. But this menial labor was only the beginning. As the years passed, his responsibilities grew darker—moving beyond the mundane to the macabre.

According to his First Information Report, what began as a regular job soon evolved into a grim role: concealing evidence of grave crimes. The complainant describes, with chilling detail, how he was drawn into the disposal of dead bodies along the Netravati’s banks. He recalls time and again having to bury bodies, mostly those of women, many showing clear and horrific signs of sexual assault and violence. In his statement, he mentions seeing numerous female corpses, often unclothed and bearing unmistakable marks of beatings and sexual brutality. The imagery is staggering—so much so that anyone who reads these lines cannot help but tremble.

Among the various incidents he described, one from 2010 haunts him most. He says he was summoned by security guards to an area near a petrol station—about five hundred meters from the river. There, he was faced with a scene so macabre that he claims it will remain with him for the rest of his life. The body of a teenage girl, estimated to be between twelve and fifteen years old, lay before him. She wore only the barest pieces of clothing. There were unmistakable signs of sexual violence on her body, as well as fresh bruises from being beaten. Marks around her neck suggested she was strangled. The guards instructed him to dig a grave and bury the child’s body along with her school bag. More than a decade later, the memory remains painfully vivid for him.

The complaint doesn’t end there. He recounts yet another incident he says he will never forget: the body of a young woman, about twenty years old, whose face had been burned with acid. The emotional toll of these scenes, the complainant insists, is something he has never been able to shake off.

Men, too, suffered. According to the FIR, the modus operandi for killing men was as cruel as it was systematic. Victims were tied to chairs in small rooms and suffocated to death by placing a towel over their faces. These were not mere isolated crimes; they were executions, conducted in cold blood and on a scale that points to methodical organization.

He claims all of this happened in front of his eyes. He describes himself as an unwilling witness and a terrified participant. The trauma took a deep toll, eventually forcing him to flee Karnataka altogether, seeking safety for himself and his family in another state.

One recurring pattern in the events is even more deeply troubling. Sometimes, after burying corpses, he was instructed to douse them in diesel and burn whatever remained. The aim, he says, was always the same—to destroy all evidence. He estimates he handled hundreds of bodies in this way, turning the scenic holy riverbanks into scenes of unspeakable horror.

The magnitude of these events naturally raises the question: who could orchestrate such atrocities and keep them hidden in plain sight? The answer the complainant provides is as alarming as it is vague. In his FIR, he insists that the people involved belong to powerful sections of temple authorities, local administration, and other influential staff members. He claims he knows many names and roles, but he cannot reveal them yet. He says plainly that these people are too powerful, capable of destroying anyone who stands in their way. For now, the threat to him and his family is too severe; he will only come forward when the law guarantees their protection.

Nevertheless, he voices one solemn vow in his statement. Should he and his loved ones gain protection under the law, he is prepared to publicly name those responsible, laying bare the connections between religious authority, criminal violence, and calculated silence. For now, those names remain locked in his memory—a time bomb waiting for its moment.

The authorities have been anything but indifferent to the complaint. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has already been formed to investigate these damning claims. In a region where tradition and trust in temple authorities run deep, the creation of such a team is itself a sign of the seriousness with which local law enforcement is treating the allegations. Over the coming days, details are likely to emerge regarding exactly how the SIT was constituted, which agencies are involved, and what immediate actions have taken place since the complaint became public.

What can be said for the time being is this: If these allegations are even partially true, the Dharmasthala Case is poised to become one of the most shocking atrocities to ever cross the boundaries of religious sanctity in India. For now, the complainant—and by extension, countless silent victims—await justice.

For those who have heard the story and felt their souls shaken, it is a reminder that sacred places are no guarantee of safety. The same structures tasked with upholding morality and compassion can, under the influence of a few powerful figures, transform into havens of secrecy and darkness. The burden of proof, the journey to justice, and the safety of witnesses are now in the hands of the authorities. But the conscience of Karnataka—and India—will not rest easy until the truth is uncovered, and those responsible are brought to account.

This case is more than a crime report. It is a parable of power, fear, and the courage it takes to break conspiracies of silence. As the SIT works, and as news slowly trickles out, all eyes remain fixed on Dharmasthala, waiting for the day when the full truth finally comes out of the shadows.

For now, the voices of the lost linger on the banks of the Netravati, and a traumatized witness waits for the law to do what is right.