'I burnt, buried bodies of raped schoolgirls, women from 1998', claims ex-Karnataka sanitation worker

A man from Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district has filed a complaint alleging that he was forced to burn and bury the bodies of several women — including schoolgirls — who he claims were raped and murdered in Dharmasthala and nearby areas between 1998 and 2014. The complainant, a former sanitation worker employed under the Dharmasthala temple administration, approached the local police seeking protection for himself and his family. A case was registered at Dharmasthala police station on July 3 under Section 211(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The man claimed that he witnessed numerous bodies, many unclothed, some with injuries indicating sexual assault, strangulation, and other forms of violence. He said that a supervisor instructed him to secretly dispose of the bodies, and that he was assaulted when he refused and threatened to inform police. He alleged that most of the bodies he encountered during his work near the Nethravathi river were of women, and several of them were minors.

He cited one particular case from 2010, involving a girl between 12 and 15 years old, found near a petrol pump in Kalleri. He said the girl was in school uniform, but her skirt and undergarments were missing, and she bore marks of sexual assault and strangulation. He said he was ordered to dig a pit and bury the girl along with her schoolbag. In another instance, he claimed a 20-year-old woman’s face was burnt with acid and her body was wrapped in newspaper before he was directed to burn it.

The complainant stated that his own family faced threats and alleged that a minor girl from his family was sexually harassed in 2014 by someone associated with his supervisor. Following this, he fled Dharmasthala with his family and went into hiding in another state. He said he recently returned to secretly exhume one of the bodies he had buried and submitted photographic evidence of the remains to the police. He has requested the police to exhume more bodies buried by him.

He claimed that the accused were linked to the Dharmasthala temple administration and that he was ready to name them once protection was provided. He also expressed willingness to undergo a polygraph or any other test. The complainant submitted his Aadhaar card, voter ID, and his official ID issued by the Dharmasthala administration. He said, “The bodies buried deserve respectful final rites,” and added that he had handed over a copy of his complaint to a Supreme Court lawyer in case he was killed or went missing before revealing names.