Mangaluru: A chilling revelation has surfaced from Dharmasthala, Karnataka, where over 100 women, including students, were allegedly raped, murdered, and secretly buried between 1998 and 2014. A former sanitation worker at the Dharmasthala temple has come forward with explosive allegations, triggering a major investigation by a special police team.
According to his statement, he was ordered by a temple supervisor to dispose of the bodies. When he refused, he was allegedly beaten and forced to burn and bury the remains. He submitted photos and other evidence to the police, and he and his family have now been provided police protection. The man left his job in 2014 and claims that guilt and a quest for justice pushed him to come forward now.
Adding weight to his testimony, a female temple employee has also given a corroborating statement.
During inspections in Dharmasthala, skulls and skeletal remains were recovered and presented in Belthangady court. However, further excavation at other suspected burial sites has not yet commenced. South Karnataka SP K.A. Arun is heading the investigation.
There are strong suspicions that Malayali women, especially from Kasaragod, are among the victims. One case dates back to 1987, where a Malayali woman’s mutilated body was discovered after she went missing. Her brother recently spoke out, linking her disappearance to this chain of crimes.
Activists are demanding swift justice. “This is a mass murder spanning decades. If authorities remain passive, we’ll dig the truth ourselves,” said Jayant, a Malayali resident of Dharmasthala.