The arrest of a whistleblower, along with inconsistencies in witness testimonies are allegedly being used to dilute the seriousness of the case
NEW DELHI – The All India Coordination of POW- PMS -IJM, (a joint platform of women’s organisations), on Monday called upon the Karnataka Government to ensure a scientific, impartial, and time-bound investigation into the grave allegations of mass rape, murder, and clandestine burials allegedly linked to the Dharmasthala temple in the state. It also urged the state government to remain firm in the wake of the rightwing forces’ onslaught.
The organisation expressed serious concern about the integrity of the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, which was constituted following the registration of an FIR that references mass rapes, sexual assaults, and the deaths and alleged secret burials of reportedly over 400 girls and women in and around the Dharmasthala Temple precincts, reportedly spanning the period between 1995 and 2014.
While the investigation continues, the Progressive Organisation of Women (POW), Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan (PMS), and Istri Jagriti Manch (IJM) raised alarm over what they termed as a “burst of propaganda” aimed at communalising the issue, discrediting lawyers and activists, and shifting attention away from the core allegations. They pointed out that the arrest of a whistleblower, along with inconsistencies in witness testimonies (notably, a reversal by the mother of a key victim), were being used to dilute the seriousness of the case.
“The pressure on fair investigations into crimes involving politically powerful and socially influential figures in India is enormous,” the statement said, adding, “This is especially true when the victims are ordinary, powerless women.”
The joint platform highlighted that the Dharmasthala Temple Trust, a prominent religious and charitable institution with significant political clout, must not be shielded from due scrutiny.
The organisations noted that the issue of missing women and girls in the region has persisted for decades, and cited past efforts to investigate it. Former MP Shri Ugarappa, for instance, reportedly led a 2016 delegation that investigated violence against women across multiple districts. His findings, including a high number of missing females in the Dharmasthala area, were documented in a report submitted in 2018, but the report was allegedly buried by successive governments. The current state government, they claim, acknowledged it only recently.
Further concerns were raised about local panchayat involvement. The vice president of the local gram panchayat, Shri Srinivas Rao, allegedly admitted that unidentified bodies were routinely buried or burned on police orders — a claim that, if true, points to systemic neglect or worse.
The grouping has urged the Karnataka Government and the SIT to direct all police stations in the state to revisit and assess missing persons reports filed during the 1995–2014 period. It also asked for adequate security to all witnesses and lawyers involved in the case.
The statement concluded with an appeal to women’s organisations and democratic forces across Karnataka and India to remain vigilant and supportive of the investigation process, ensuring it is unhindered, unbiased, and focused on justice.
“It is in the interest of truth, justice, and the integrity of our institutions that this investigation be allowed to proceed fairly — especially since those in the dock are powerful,” the statement read.
The coordination warned against attempts to suppress or redirect the inquiry and emphasized the importance of maintaining public pressure to bring out the truth.
