Even though the Karnataka High Court has put on hold the investigation being conducted by SIT into the alleged rape and murder of young girls and women in large numbers in Dharmasthala premises over decades, but the question who killed the women still haunts the sensitive atmosphere.
Women activists are a key part of the broader “KondhavaruYaaru? Who Killed the Women in Dharmasthala?” campaign. They have organised protests across multiple districts in Karnataka and engaged in signature campaigns to draw public attention and ensure the SIT maintains focus despite political and religious pressure.
A network of women’s organisations called NavedduNilladiddare-Karnataka (meaning, if we do not standup) has demanded an independent oversight committee comprising women’s rights experts to assist the SIT and ensure transparency. Their demands centre on ensuring a thorough, impartial, and independent investigation into the decades-long series of crimes, free from political interference.
Key Demands and Actions
Court-Monitored SIT Probe: Activists, along with legal experts and a retired Supreme Court judge, have called for the government to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate all the reported cases, and for this SIT to be monitored by the Karnataka High Court or the Supreme Court to ensure impartiality. The state government has since formed an SIT.
Reinvestigation of Past Cases: The activists specifically demand the reinvestigation of prominent historical cases that remain unsolved, including the 2012 Sowjanya rape and murder case, the 1986 Pushpalata case, and the 1979 Vali case.
Protection for Whistleblowers and Victims’ Families: Following a former sanitation worker’s claim of burying hundreds of bodies under duress, activists have demanded that the whistle blowers and the victims’ families be provided protection under the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018.
Accountability for Erring Officials: They are demanding action against police officers and other officials who were allegedly responsible for botched investigations and cover-ups in previous cases, such as the initial probe into the Sowjanya case.
End to Political Interference: Activists have condemned statements by political leaders from various parties that they believe threaten the investigation’s integrity, urging a conducive environment for the pursuit of truth regardless of the status of the individuals involved.
Compensation and Rehabilitation: They demand that the families of the affected victims receive proper compensation and rehabilitation.
History: Situated on the scenic lower slopes of the Western Ghats, Dharmasthala, an 800-year-old pilgrimage village, is located on the banks of the Nethravathi River in the Belthangady area of the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, where nearly 2,000 devotees visit daily.
The issue primarily refers to a series of alleged disappearances and murders over several decades, most notably the 2012 Sowjanya murder case and recent claims of mass burials by a former temple worker.
Incident: In October 2012, 17-year-old Sowjanya, a student, was found raped and brutally murdered near the Nethravathi River in Dharmasthala.
Investigation and Acquittal: The initial police investigation was widely criticised for being botched, with allegations of evidence manipulation and ignored leads. A lone suspect, Santhosh Rao, was arrested and tried. In June 2023, a special CBI court acquitted him of all charges due to lack of evidence, a verdict that was later upheld by the Karnataka High Court.
Controversy: Sowjanya’s family and activists alleged that the real culprits, who they claim have connections to the influential Heggade family (hereditary administrators of the Dharmasthala Temple), were shielded by authorities. The acquittal of Santhosh Rao intensified public demand for a reinvestigation to find the actual perpetrators.
Other Cases
The Sowjanya case and the mass burial allegations have brought attention to other unresolved cases in the region, including the 1987 rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl named Padmalatha, and the 2003 disappearance of medical student Ananya Bhatt, whose mother suspects her daughter might be among the buried victims.
These cases are part of a larger ongoing narrative of alleged systemic cover-ups involving powerful individuals in the Dharmasthala area, which has led to a significant public outcry and demands for a thorough, impartial investigation.