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DKS warns of action on Dharmasthala misinformation
Karnataka's SIT faces scrutiny as minimal evidence is found in Dharmasthala excavations; Deputy CM considers legal action against misinformation campaigns.
With the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) excavation work in Dharmasthala producing minimal evidence after more than two weeks, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has said the state is weighing legal measures against those he believes ran a “misinformation campaign” aimed at the pilgrim town and its authorities.
The SIT, which began its operation on July 29 based on claims by a former sanitation worker, has examined most of the 13 burial sites he identified, recovering skeletal remains from only one. Senior SIT officials indicated two more sites would be checked before bringing the search to a close. The complainant had alleged that over a span of 25 years he was forced to bury hundreds of victims of sexual abuse and harassment.
Addressing reporters at the KPCC office on Friday, Shivakumar said that the issue was about due process, not partisanship. “This is not about being for or against Dharmasthala. The process must be as per the law. I have known Dharmasthala closely, and I have faith in the place. I firmly believe that the conspiracy will be exposed in the days to come. The Home minister will present the facts about this case in the House.”
When pressed on whether a conspiracy existed, he replied, “The Home minister will explain it in detail. The Chief Minister is committed to bringing out the truth and has warned against any conspiracy to tarnish the image. Law is the same for everyone. There is no attempt to protect anyone. No one’s reputation must be tarnished.”
Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said in Mangaluru that Home Minister G. Parameshwara would present a full account to both houses on August 18. He maintained that the SIT was acting “transparently and impartially to find out the truth” and noted that “No one has any doubts about the investigation as it is going well. We will put the truth before the people. We cannot respond to what someone has said.”
Gundurap also said, “If there is a conspiracy behind this, that too needs to be considered,” and added that “nothing can be denied. All facts need to be known through investigation.” He accused the BJP of politicising religious matters: “BJP is a party that looks for political gain… Now that all the facts have come out, the BJP is calculating how they can use it for political gain.”
According to him, various groups, including left-leaning organisations, had pushed for a formal probe. “Even Veerendra Heggade had said that an SIT would be good,” he said, adding that although he initially believed the local police could handle the case, “looking back now, it was a good thing that the SIT was formed. No one will have any doubts. The police cannot be blamed. A transparent investigation is underway.”
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka demanded that the state government reveal the identity of the masked man who led police to the excavation site and hand over the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Ashoka alleged that despite spending over ₹1 crore and deploying heavy machinery, drones, and modern equipment, the investigation had yielded nothing.
“Who is this man directing the digging? The police give him security, feed him biryani, and follow his instructions. But not even a mouse has been found,” he remarked.
As the SIT wraps up its work, BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra has announced that around 200 members will travel in convoy from Bengaluru to Dharmasthala on Sunday “as devotees of Lord Manjunatha and Annappa Swamy and not as party workers,” describing the trip as an expression of solidarity with the temple administration.
