Government Response to Dharmasthala Horror: ‘Open to Probe, But SIT Only After Police Report,’ Says Karnataka CM

Setting for the Horror

Karnataka and the whole country were shocked when a cleaning worker who had worked at the Dharmasthala temple for almost twenty years made shocking claims about mass graves, sexual abuse, and cover-ups involving powerful people. The informant said that between 1995 and 2014, more than 100 women and children were killed and buried in secret. 

Photographs and partial skeletal parts have now been brought to court to support this claim.

"No One Will Be Protected," says the health minister in response.

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao was one of the first people in the government to say that the situation was very bad in response to the criticism. He told the press that the government is "open to an impartial investigation" and will not protect anyone, no matter how powerful they are. "We will act based on proof." "Those who did these crimes will be punished by the law," he promised.

Gundu Rao stressed the importance of scientific research and openness, and he asked the officials to follow the law. He didn't demand a Special Investigation Team (SIT), though. Instead, he said that the government would act as more information came in.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

Be careful in Karnataka. A more cautious stance was taken by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He told the reporters that the government is still waiting for the police to give them a full report. They won't even think about making a Special Investigation Team (SIT) until after that.

"The accusations are serious, and the SIT will be formed if the preliminary findings show that more action is needed." "We won't move quickly until we see the full report," he said, adding that any action would follow the right legal and formal steps.

The opposition and activists want things to happen faster

Even with these promises, some opposition leaders and activists have said the government's reaction is too slow and measured. Many people want the SIT to be supervised by the courts because the accusations are so broad, and high-level people with ties to the temple administration could have an impact.

The Women's Commission wants SIT to happen

The Karnataka State Women's Commission also spoke out and asked for an SIT to be formed right away. The panel pointed out that 367 cases of missing and murdered women in the Dharmasthala region are still open, which points to a bigger pattern of systemic neglect or cover-up.

What's Next?

People are putting more and more pressure on the court as they continue to hear the whistleblower's story. The government has to make a big choice: either act quickly to restore faith in justice, or people will see it as protecting the powerful. At this point, the cops have the ball, and everyone is waiting to see what they find.