Dharmasthala chief calls Karnataka mass murder and burial claims baseless, says 'hurt by accusations'

Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy Temple, on Tuesday rejected allegations of multiple murders, rapes, and mass burials in Dharmasthala, calling them “baseless and false.” He welcomed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe constituted by the Karnataka government to investigate the claims and emphasized cooperation with the authorities.

The allegations gained traction after protests demanding justice for Sowjanya, a 17-year-old pre-university student at Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College, who was allegedly raped and murdered on October 9, 2012. Heggade stated, “These issues are baseless and false, and I was really hurt by these accusations. The way things are projected in social media is morally wrong.” He urged for a speedy investigation and said all temple records and documents are open for verification.

Heggade alleged that Dharmasthala and its trust have been subjected to an “organised campaign” for over 14 years, claiming, “Irked by the good work being done by us, some elements carry out false campaigns but we are unperturbed.” Referring to recent videos of a masked man claiming to have buried bodies in Dharmasthala, he said, “This is impossible. There is a popular belief that if one dies in Dharmasthala, they will get salvation. Whenever there is a death, we used to inform the panchayat and they do due diligence and bury the body.”

The Dharmadhikari addressed allegations of property misuse, stating that all temple properties are owned by the trust with proper documents and that family members manage the trust transparently. He said, “We are four brothers and one brother takes care of education in Bengaluru, the other brother takes care of the temple here along with social work, and I have a sister whose husband is a vice chancellor of the SDM University in Dharwad. All educational institutions are in the name of trust.” He also dismissed claims about the temple being run by a Jain family affecting rituals and said all rituals are followed correctly.

Responding to political and public scrutiny, Heggade welcomed statements by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah about investigating wrongdoing and punishing the guilty. He said faith in the temple remains unaffected, rituals continue as usual, and investigations are progressing. He added, “The smear campaign will end as allegations are turning out to be false, and people have come forward now in large numbers in support of the temple.”