Authorities in India have arrested a man who claimed that he was forced to bury hundreds of women and girls who had been raped and murdered in the temple town of Dharmasthala, located in Karnataka. The 48-year-old former temple worker, who was employed as a cleaner and sanitation worker from 1995 to 2014, came forward with these allegations in July 2025. He reported that during his tenure, he was threatened with death if he did not comply with orders to bury bodies discovered on or near the temple premises. In his police complaint, he described finding many female corpses without clothes or undergarments, some showing signs of sexual assault and violent injuries, including strangulation marks. The man has remained anonymous due to safety concerns and wore a hood and mask in public appearances related to the case.

Following the man's accusation, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was established by the Karnataka government to probe the claims. The team began excavating locations identified by the whistleblower, who named as many as 13 burial sites in and around Dharmasthala, some difficult to access due to dense vegetation and other hazards. Exhumations at two sites have yielded human bones and a skull sent for forensic analysis, though the identification of the remains is still pending. Despite the discovery of remains, the SIT has noted that the skull and bones presented initially by the accused as evidence were not recovered from the claimed burial sites. The investigation has drawn significant media attention and public concern both locally and nationally.

The temple at the center of the allegations is dedicated to Manjunatha Swamy, an incarnation of the Hindu deity Shiva, and is administered by the prominent Heggade family. Veerendra Heggade, the chief administrator and a member of India’s upper house of parliament, has publicly supported the government’s decision to investigate and assured full cooperation with investigative agencies. He emphasized the temple’s trust in judicial and investigative processes and condemned any wrongdoing if proven true. The accusations have challenged the temple's longstanding reputation and have caused unrest in the local community, disrupting the daily rituals and pilgrim activity in this ancient pilgrimage site that sees thousands of visitors daily.

The arrested man first noticed suspicious activity soon after joining the temple staff when bodies of women and girls were found washing up by the river near the temple. Initially thinking they were suicides, he later recognized the signs of sexual assault and violence on the corpses. One haunting memory he shared involved the body of a young schoolgirl found strangled, wearing a uniform shirt but missing her skirt and underwear, which he was ordered to bury with her school bag. He fled the temple town in 2014 after receiving threats to his and his family's lives, living in hiding until deciding to report the crimes despite fears for his safety. His statements have sparked a complex and ongoing criminal investigation into decades-old allegations of sexual violence and murder at the temple town.