“The women of Karnataka and across India deserve to know the truth: who raped and murdered women in Dharmasthala? The culprits must be punished as per law, the All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) said.
NEW DELHI — The All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA), a national women’s network affiliated with the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), has written to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging a fair and comprehensive probe into a series of crimes against women in Dharmasthala, Dakshina Kannada district.
In its letter, ALIFA expressed solidarity with women’s rights groups and activists in Karnataka who have long campaigned for justice in cases of sexual violence, disappearances, and suspicious deaths of women in Dharmasthala. The organisation said these unresolved cases—now back in public focus despite resistance from Hindutva groups—reflect a troubling pattern of impunity and official negligence.
“The women of Karnataka and across India deserve to know the truth: who raped and murdered women in Dharmasthala? The culprits must be punished as per law, and those who covered up the crimes must also be held accountable,” the feminist collective said in its appeal.
ALIFA endorsed the 10-point demand charter of the Kondavaru Yaaru Campaign, a state-level initiative seeking justice for the victims. The campaign, backed by several women’s rights collectives, is holding events across Karnataka through October and November, culminating in a public meeting on Human Rights Day, December 10.
While commending the state government for constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in July 2025 to probe the alleged “mass burial” case in Dharmasthala, ALIFA stressed that the inquiry must not end there. “The SIT must be truly empowered, and its scope expanded beyond the mass burial case to include all unresolved crimes in Dharmasthala,” the letter said.
The group further demanded that the SIT remain independent, well-resourced, and free from political or external influence, and that it investigate systemic failures by the police in conducting impartial inquiries. “Your office must be vigilant and take action against anyone trying to obstruct the investigation, no matter how influential they may be,” ALIFA told the Chief Minister.
Referring to the Soujanya case—the 2012 death of a 17-year-old college student in Dharmasthala—the alliance cited the Special CBI Court’s order of June 16, 2023, and the Karnataka High Court’s directive of September 13, 2024, to highlight the need for strict accountability of officials who failed in their duties.
ALIFA also urged the government to ensure safety, anonymity, compensation, and rehabilitation for victims’ families and witnesses, and to involve independent women’s rights activists as observers or advisors to the SIT for greater transparency.
Acknowledging that some recommendations from the 2018 High Power Committee Report led by former legislator V.S. Ugrappa have been implemented, ALIFA said much more remained to be done. “While these steps are welcome, the violence against women—especially in Dharmasthala—must be addressed with urgency and seriousness,” the letter read.
Framing the Dharmasthala probe as a test of the government’s commitment to constitutional values, the group wrote: “The Karnataka Sarkara, which was voted to power with the hope that it will uphold the spirit of the Samvidhana, faces a litmus test in this case. Women across Karnataka and India will be watching your government’s actions.”
The signatories include prominent academics, activists, and journalists from across India, among them Arundhati Ghosh, Jarjum Ete, Laxmi Murthy, Radhika Desai, Dr. Preeti Edakunny, Nalini Nayak, Chayanika Shah, J. Devika, Abha Bhaiya, Seema Kulkarni, Geeta Seshu, and Meena Saraswathi Seshu.
The alliance concluded by calling for long-term institutional and educational reforms to combat gender-based violence, particularly within powerful religious and cultural institutions “that operate under the cover of secrecy and sanctity.”
“We hope you will look into all the aforementioned concerns and demands with the seriousness they deserve and issue necessary instructions to uphold fairness and justice in this entire matter,” ALIFA letter concludes.
