Buried in silence: Dharmasthala whistleblower alleges decades of secret forest graves ordered by temple

In a chilling account that could deepen one of Karnataka’s most disturbing investigations, a former sanitation worker at the Dharmasthala temple has claimed he spent nearly two decades burying scores of unidentified bodies — often showing signs of assault — on direct orders from temple authorities, far from any official graveyard and without a single document to record the deaths.

In his first interview with India Today, the whistleblower alleged that the burials took place between 1995 and 2014 in forests, along riverbanks, and on abandoned roads. Some, he said, were carried out in places as prominent as Bahubali Hills and the Netravathi bathing ghat.

“We never received orders from the Panchayat. It was always the temple’s information centre that told us what to do,” he claimed.

Bodies in forests, not graveyards

The whistleblower named four others who were part of the burial crew, saying one site — known as Spot 13 — held between 70 and 80 bodies. He alleged that locals sometimes saw the process but “were least bothered,” treating the clandestine burials as routine.

The victims, he claimed, ranged from children to the elderly, with a striking majority — nearly 90 out of 100 — being women. Many, he alleged, bore visible injuries suggestive of violence or sexual assault. “Some had clear marks. It looked like they were assaulted,” he said, while noting only medical experts could confirm the cause of death.

Evidence lost to time and terrain

The SIT has so far recovered only partial skeletal remains from the 13 sites he identified, including one male skeleton. The whistleblower attributed the low recovery to years of erosion, dense forest growth, and construction work that altered landscapes and erased markers.

“I believe in the SIT, but it doesn’t seem to believe in me,” he said, urging investigators to widen excavation areas and summon the other burial team members to speed up the process. He maintains there are at least four or five more sites yet to be searched.

Haunted by graves, linked to infamous murder

The man also recounted being questioned during the high-profile 2012 murder of 17-year-old Sowjanya, whose body was found in a secluded area near Dharmasthala. While he denied being in the area that night, he recalled seeing her body the next day.

Two decades later, he says he returned to Dharmasthala seeking closure. “I used to dream of skeletal remains. I felt guilty. I want to show wherever the bodies are buried… finish this and return to my family,” he said, rejecting accusations of theft or temple defamation.

Background

The Dharmasthala mass burial allegations surfaced in July, when the whistleblower claimed he and others interred over 100 bodies — mostly women and minors — on temple orders. The SIT has identified 13 to 15 suspected burial sites, but shifting landscapes and decades of silence have left much of the truth still buried.