Whistleblower in Dharmasthala mass burial case arrested for giving false evidence: Reports

In a fresh twist in the Dharmasthala mass burial case, Karnataka Police on Saturday, August 23 arrested the prime whistleblower who had earlier alleged that dozens of bodies were buried at multiple locations linked to the Dharmasthala temple. According to police sources, the whistleblower misled the Special Investigation Team (SIT) by furnishing false evidence.

The accused, a former sanitation worker with the Dharmasthala temple administration, was interrogated overnight until 6 am before being taken into custody. Police revealed that the skull he had earlier produced as evidence turned out to be fake, prompting charges of perjury and furnishing false information.

Authorities confirmed that the arrested whistleblower would be produced before a magistrate later in the evening. Ahead of the court appearance, he was taken to a local hospital for a routine medical check-up.

The SIT has so far inspected 15 sites identified by the complainant, where he had claimed to have buried 70–80 bodies, including women and minors, between 1998 and 2014. However, skeletal remains of only one male were recovered from spot number 6, casting serious doubt on his claims.

In an earlier interaction with India Today TV, the whistleblower—whose identity was masked—defended his allegations, saying several burial sites might have disappeared due to soil erosion, forest growth, or construction activities over the years. He further claimed that locals had witnessed the burials being carried out in broad daylight but chose not to intervene.

Rejecting accusations that he was attempting to malign the reputation of the Dharmasthala temple, he had said: “What will I gain by tarnishing the temple’s name? I am a Hindu, from a Scheduled Caste.”

The arrest has added a new layer of complexity to the already controversial case, which continues to attract widespread public and media attention.