Karnataka, India – Authorities have arrested a man who made explosive allegations about mass murders and secret burials at one of southern India’s most revered religious sites, with police now charging him with perjury.
The Allegations That Shook a Holy Town
The controversy centers on Dharmasthala, a small temple town in Karnataka state that draws thousands of daily pilgrims to its ancient shrine dedicated to Manjunatha Swamy, a form of the Hindu deity Shiva. The man, whose identity remains protected, claimed he worked as a temple cleaner from 1995 to 2014 and was forced to bury hundreds of murdered women and girls.
In his police complaint filed in early July, the middle-aged man detailed five specific incidents while suggesting many others occurred. He alleged that victims, including minors, were raped before being killed, and that he was coerced into disposing of their bodies. The man said he had been in hiding since 2014 before his conscience compelled him to speak out.
Dramatic Court Appearance
The case took a startling turn when the man appeared before a magistrate wearing all black clothing, including a hood and face mask. Most shocking was his production of a human skull from his bag, which he claimed belonged to one of the victims he had buried and recently retrieved.
However, investigators now say this evidence was fabricated. “The skull and skeletal remains he produced are not brought from any spot in which he claimed to have buried the bodies,” a Special Investigation Team (SIT) official told the BBC.
Government Response and Investigation
The allegations triggered a political firestorm across Karnataka state. The women’s commission raised concerns, prompting the government to establish a Special Investigation Team to thoroughly examine the claims.
For weeks, investigators conducted excavations at 13 locations identified by the man, some in remote areas with dense vegetation reportedly inhabited by venomous snakes. Human remains, including a skull and nearly 100 bone fragments, were discovered at two sites and sent for forensic analysis, though their origin remains unclear.
Temple Administration Responds
The allegations cast a shadow over the influential Heggade family, who serve as hereditary temple administrators. Chief administrator Veerendra Heggade, a member of India’s upper house of parliament and recipient of the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award, firmly denied the accusations.
“We really appreciate the government for appointing the SIT for investigating the alleged unnatural deaths,” Heggade stated, emphasizing full cooperation with authorities. He later called the former cleaner’s claims “impossible” and expressed hope that “once and for all the truth should come out.”
Political Fallout
The controversy became a major political issue in Karnataka’s recent legislative session. Opposition BJP members characterized the allegations as a “smear campaign” against a Hindu religious site with millions of devotees.
Home Minister G. Parameshwara of the ruling Congress party defended the government’s approach: “Shouldn’t the truth come out? If nothing is found, Dharmasthala’s stature will only grow stronger. If something emerges, justice will be delivered.”
Current Status
With the man’s arrest for perjury, the case has taken a significant turn. The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the truth behind the sensational claims that have shaken one of India’s most important pilgrimage destinations.
The centuries-old temple, central to local religious and cultural life, now awaits the final conclusions of the forensic analysis and ongoing investigation that will determine whether these allegations had any basis in reality.
