Chilling secret burial claims shake temple town in India

Mystery whistleblower alleges decades of systematic sexual abuse and murder of hundreds of women and young girls

- SHWETA SHARMA

A temple town, a mystery whistleblower and a chilling confession: allegations of rape, murder and the secret burial of hundreds of women and girls over two decades have shocked the quiet holy town of Dharmasthala in southern India's Karnataka state.

His face hidden behind a black hood, the whistleblower appeared before a local court earlier this month carrying skeletal remains that he claimed were taken from a mass burial site of sexual assault victims.

The man claimed to be a former sanitation worker at the Dharmasthala temple and alleged he was forced into secretly disposing of hundreds of bodies, many of which showed signs of brutal violence and sexual assault.

In a written complaint to the police chief of Dakshina Kannada district, the man, whose identity is being withheld for his safety, said he worked under duress for nearly 20 years before fleeing into hiding with his family in 2014. Driven by guilt, remorse and haunting nightmares, he had returned after more than a decade to expose the “horrific crimes” he allegedly witnessed during his time working at the temple.

According to his testimony and redacted complaint, seen by The Independent, the alleged rape, torture and murder of girls and women and the disposal of their remains occurred between 1995 and 2014. The whistleblower demanded exhumation of the hundreds of corpses he claimed to have buried and an investigation so that justice could be ensured for the victims “who were denied dignity even in death”.

His lawyer, KV Dhananjay, told The Independent this was an “unprecedented” case where the witness had come forward not only with his testimony but also evidence, demanding accountability.