DHARMASTHALA FILES

An Investigative Report by Abhishek M

United Media
This report will continue to grow until the truth wins.
Compiled as of: 19.07.2025
�㷘 About the Author & Investigative Team
This report, Dharmasthala Files, has been compiled by Abhishek M &
Team, a ground-level investigative journalist and founder of the digital
platform United Media.

United Media is a Kannada-language independent media channel focused

on social justice, citizen journalism, and human rights issues in
Karnataka. With no corporate funding, political backing, or institutional
protection, the channel has consistently reported on sensitive cases
involving caste-based crimes, land mafia, and institutional cover-ups 4
particularly in coastal Karnataka.

The Dharmasthala Files is the outcome of extensive fieldwork, document

collection, survivor interviews, and legal tracking over the past several
years. The purpose of this report is to consolidate evidence, testimony, and
suppressed voices into a single, comprehensive public record.

This work has been made possible through collaboration with several
individuals and organizations, including:

 Mahesh Shetty Thimmarodi 3 Senior activist and community

leader
 Jayanth T 3 Founder, Neethi Trust & RTI researcher
 Girish Mattannavar 3Former - Police Inspector
 Former temple employees, insiders, and whistleblowers under protection
 Spy informants and local witnesses, whose identities are protected for security reasons

Each piece of information presented in this report 4 from police complaints to RTI replies and
eyewitness statements 4 has been sourced, verified, and documented with utmost care and
responsibility.

Our team strongly believes that when institutions fail, it becomes the duty of the people to speak up
4 and this report is part of that public duty.

We acknowledge the risks faced by independent journalists, YouTubers, activists, and survivors who
have contributed to this work. We also express our gratitude to the general public who continue to
support truth-seeking efforts.

This is not just an investigative document 4 it is a call for justice.

– Abhishek M
Founder & Editor, United Media

�㷞 Contact Details
United Media – Official Contact
�㷧 Email: [email protected]
�㷱 Phone / WhatsApp: +91 8867056843
�㰐 YouTube: United Media
Contents
1. Sowjanya Case (2012) 1

2. Ananya Bhat Case (2003) 4

3. Narayan-Yamuna / Double Murder Case (2012) 6

4. Vedavalli Harale Case (1979) 8

6. Padmalatha Case (1986) 10

7. UDR - Forest and Lodge Death Cases 12

8. D-Gang Autoricksha Network 15

9. Protests and Activist Network 18

10. Media Involvement 20

11. Legal Team 23

12. Witness Confession 24

13. Conclusion 26

14. Annexure 27
Case 01: The Rape and Murder of Sowjanya (2012)
"Justice delayed is not just justice denied4it’s justice buried under political power, fear, and silence."

�㴍 Victim Profile:

Name: Sowjanya
Age: 17
Village: Pangala, Dharmasthala
College: 2nd PUC student at SDM College, Ujire
Date of Incident: 9 October 2012
Place of Disappearance: Netravati River Bathing Ghat, Dharmasthala
Place Body Found: Mannasanka Forest, Dharmasthala

�㷌 Timeline of Horror:

On 9 October 2012, at exactly 4:15 PM, 17-year-old Sowjanya stepped off a local bus near Netravati
River bathing ghat in Dharmasthala. She was returning from SDM College, a well-known institution
run by the Dharmasthala administration. The stop is just a few kilometers away from the temple
town. She never made it home.

By 5:00 PM, her parents, realizing she was missing, began searching desperately. Locals joined. She
was officially declared missing at Belthangady Police Station that same evening.

The next day410 October 20124her naked, brutalized, lifeless body was found in Mannasanka,
a forest area infamous among locals for hidden crimes. Her body bore signs of gang rape, torture, and
violent murder. Her face was swollen. Her skull had injuries. Her clothes were missing. And what
followed after this was not a fight for justice… but a fight against justice.

�㶨 The Frame-up Begins: Enter Santhosh Rao

Within 24 hours of the body being found, a group of five men4Dheeraj Jain, Uday Jain (auto
driver), Mallik Jain, Ravi Poojary, and Ashish Jain4stormed the Dharmasthala Gommata Hill.
They dragged out Santhosh Rao, a mentally unstable, poor man from Sringeri. They accused him of
the murder and handed him to police.

But here's the shocking part: those same five men who <caught= him are
the ones locals believe are the real culprits.

Victim’s parents told the police clearly:

<Santhosh Rao is not the killer. The people who brought him are.=

Yet, the police, under Inspector Yogesh, refused to take a complaint. No

FIR against the five. No investigation into their connection. Instead,
Santhosh Rao was arrested and declared the prime accused.

For 9 years, he rotted in jail as an <accused rapist=4until 2021, when the court officially acquitted
him, stating there was no evidence against him and the investigation was misled from the beginning.

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� Medical Tampering: The Rot Runs Deep

The postmortem was a travesty.

 The rape swab sample was not submitted for 9 days.

 When it reached the lab, it was fungus-infected, unusable.
 Postmortem clearly stated multiple persons raped and killed Sowjanya. But that line was
never followed in the investigation.
 Evidence was destroyed intentionally, and Inspector Yogesh was suspected of taking
bribes or acting under pressure from powerful individuals.

This wasn’t just negligence. This was systematic sabotage.

�㲭 The Real Motive? A Mistaken Identity?

During our investigations4interviews with villagers, friends, and local activists4we uncovered a
chilling theory:

Sowjanya was not the original target.

The actual target was her classmate Varsha, daughter of a Dharmasthala village Bhatt (Brahmin
family).
She resembled Sowjanya slightly.
It was raining that evening, visibility was poor.
The men kidnapped the wrong girl.

And why Varsha? Her father had a land dispute with powerful persons connected to
Dharmasthala administration. He had received threats. He was vocal.

In the shadows of a feud, an innocent girl was brutally sacrificed.

�㷑 Police, Politicians, and Power Brokers: Everyone Failed

From 2012 to 2022, multiple protests, petitions, and investigations happened. But justice remained
elusive.

 The CBI investigation was ordered4but failed, citing <lack of medical evidence.=
 The Home Minister of Karnataka declared on record:

<Sowjanya case is a closed chapter.=

How can a child’s gangrape and murder be a <closed chapter=?

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�㶥 Resistance, Threats, and Dead Witnesses

The fight for justice was not just long4it was deadly.

 Five witnesses connected to this case reportedly died under suspicious circumstances.
 Mahesh Shetty Thimmarodi, Hindu activist and key justice protestor, was harassed and
targeted repeatedly.
 Fake cases were filed against protestors.
 YouTube channels, including Kudla Rampage, Thirdeye Kannada, Sanchari Studio, United
Media and others faced takedowns and threats.
 In 2025, when Sameer MD released a viral 39-minute animated video about Sowjanya and
Dharmasthala crimes (over 2 crore views), legal cases were filed and his video was forcibly
taken down.

� The Acquittal Committee: A Farce

 In 2022, the court ordered formation of an Acquittal Review Committee.

 But it was never actually created for two years.
 When formed in 2024, it was kept secret, and later disposed quietly without action.
 This was revealed only through an RTI application filed months later.

�㴥 Voices That Refuse to Die

Despite threats, silencing, and institutional betrayal, a fire burns.

 Mahesh Shetty Thimmarodi has continued to lead protests for over a decade.
 Girish Mattannavar, ex-police sub-inspector, left his job to fight corruption and joined the
Sowjanya justice campaign.
 Jayanth T, founder of Neethi Trust, has fought through RTIs and legal interventions.
 Supreme Court Advocate & his Team now leads the legal battle, offering support free of
charge.

�㷽� Media and the People: The Last Line of Defense

No mainstream channel in Karnataka dared to touch the Sowjanya case.

Only YouTubers, local activists, and victims' families kept the fire alive:

 Kudla Rampage (Ajay)

 Thirdeye Kannada (Subramanya)
 Sanchari Studio (Santhosh),
 United Media (Abhishek M) and others.

�㵯� The Fight is Still On

Thirteen years have passed.

Still, no real accused has been arrested..
Still, power continues to cover truth in robes of silence and divinity.

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Case 2: Ananya Bhat 3 The Vanishing of a Medico, and the Silence
That Followed
<When a mother begged for her daughter in Dharmasthala, she was told4this is common here.=

It was the year 2003.

Ananya Bhat, a first-year MBBS student at Manipal Hospital Medical College, Udupi, had come
to Dharmasthala with a group of her friends. Her friends were all locals4belonging to nearby
villages around Dharmasthala. It was supposed to be a casual visit. A short break. A simple temple
darshan.

But what unfolded was a brutal disappearance4and a permanent wound etched into her mother’s life.

That evening, as they reached Dharmasthala, her friends left Ananya near the temple while they
went back to their homes to bring clothes. When they returned a short while later4Ananya had
vanished.

Completely gone. No clue, no witness, no help.

At first, her friends tried to search for her frantically. But the silence of the temple town was
deafening. They soon began to suspect something terrible had happened4something involving local
rapists allegedly operating in and around Dharmasthala.

Panicked and helpless, the friends immediately called Ananya9s mother, Sujatha, who was working
as a CBI stenographer in Kolkata at the time. She rushed to Dharmasthala, but due to some
unavoidable issues, her journey was delayed by two days.

By the time Sujatha reached Dharmasthala, her daughter had been missing for over 48 hours.

A Mother's Search Begins:

Sujatha, determined to find her daughter, began asking locals near the temple
and nearby areas. She pleaded with them4<Have you seen my daughter?=

But what she heard in return was chilling.

<Don’t search here, Amma. So many girls go missing here. This is common in
Dharmasthala.=

That one line should have triggered a state investigation. But instead, it was
brushed off like routine news.

With no help from the public, Sujatha went straight to Belthangady Police Station. But even there,
she was refused justice. The police flatly refused to take her complaint. They told her, without
hesitation:

<You search for her on your own. We will not help you.=

This wasn’t just a mother being ignored4this was a system protecting someone else. A cover-up in
motion.

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The Attack:
Out of desperation, Sujatha decided to approach the temple9s top authority. She visited the house
of the Dharmasthala temple owner to ask for help.

That decision almost got her killed.

She was attacked by four men, brutally beaten and suffered a serious head injury. She somehow
escaped with her life, but the damage had been done. She fell into a coma.

For three months, Sujatha lay unconscious in a hospital in Bengaluru. The system had not only
failed to find her daughter4it had tried to silence her, permanently.

When she finally regained consciousness, the memories came flooding back4the pain, the betrayal,
the fear, and the missing daughter who still hadn’t returned.

20 Years of Silence:
To this day, Ananya Bhat9s body has not been found. No FIR was officially taken. No arrests
were made. No investigation was pursued. The story was buried under power, fear, and a culture of
silence.

Sujatha, even after waking from coma, continued to demand justice. But the system responded the
same way4it turned its back.

Ananya’s disappearance became just another chapter in the dark, unspoken history of
Dharmasthala4a town that devours its daughters and silences its mothers.

This is not fiction. This is not history.

This is the truth from the lips of a mother who still waits.

How many more Ananyas?

How many more Sujathas?

And how long before Dharmasthala answers?

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Case 3: Double Murder of Narayan and Yamuna 3 Two Lives Crushed
for Land, Power, and Silence
<They were brother and sister. Killed brutally in the shadow of Ganesha festival, and erased from
memory by construction and greed.=

This happened on the night of 20th September 2012, just days before Sowjanya9s murder.

Two siblings4Narayan, aged 65, and Yamuna, aged 454were brutally murdered in their own
home in Dharmasthala. Not in a remote forest, not in the shadows4but right in the middle of
town, next to the KSRTC Bus Stand.

Narayan was no outsider to the temple4he was a former elephant guard at the Dharmasthala
Temple. Yamuna too worked in the temple. Both of them lived a quiet life in a small house located
beside the KSRTC bus stand.

But their biggest crime was something else4they refused to leave their home, and that home stood
on land that powerful people wanted.

Threats Before the Murder:

The land they lived on was under pressure. According to a complaint copy filed by Sundri, the wife
of Narayan, to the Superintendent of Police, Mangalore, the family had been facing threats for
several days.

The name mentioned in her complaint was Rajendra Rai, allegedly connected to the influential
group from Dharmasthala temple9s side. Sundri clearly stated that Rajendra Rai had made
repeated threats to their family, pressuring them to vacate the land.

While Sundri and her children eventually shifted to Belthangady out of fear, Narayan and Yamuna
refused to move. They stayed behind in their modest house, refusing to bow down to land mafia
tactics.

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The Night of the Murder:

On 20th September 2012, Dharmasthala was celebrating. There was an orchestra function at the
KSRTC bus stand4part of the Ganesha Festival celebrations.

Just a few metres away from the festival sounds, Narayan and Yamuna were murdered inside their
home.

The method was horrific and cruel:

 Narayan9s head was crushed with a massive grinding stone.

 Yamuna9s skull was smashed with a heavy rock.

This was not an ordinary murder. It was a planned execution, carried out silently under cover of
festival noise, by those who had the power to make it all disappear by morning.

The Cover-Up:

By the next morning, locals discovered the gruesome scene. Bloodied stones, shattered skulls4two
lives ended mercilessly.

But what followed next was the real crime.

Instead of registering a complaint from Sundri or the victims9 family, the police accepted a
complaint from Rajendra Rai himself4the very man who had been threatening them, as per
Sundri’s earlier letter.

The same police officer, who would later mishandle the Sowjanya case, was responsible for this
investigation too.

 No fair inquiry was conducted.

 Real accused were protected.
 The victims were blamed or ignored.

To this day, no one has been arrested, and the double murder remains unsolved.

Erased from the Map:

What happened next exposed the larger game.

Within two months of the murder, the small house where Narayan and Yamuna were killed was
completely demolished. And soon after, construction began.

Today, in that same spot where two innocent people were murdered, stands a multi-storey hotel.
The land was reportedly sold by Dharmasthala-linked persons, and now the building is known as:

Hotel Ayodya.
Not a single memorial. Not a single nameboard. Not a trace of justice.
Just concrete poured over blood.
How many more families will be chased off their land with threats and
violence?
How many more will be erased from the map by construction?
And how long will the truth be buried under hotels and temples?
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Case 4: Vedavalli Teacher 3 Murdered for Earning Her Rightful Post
<A teacher who went to court to claim her rightful promotion… was burnt alive in her own bathroom. And the
police jailed her husband instead.=

This happened in the year 1979, almost half a century ago4but its shock and
injustice still echo in the dusty corners of Dharmasthala’s past.

Vedavalli was a school teacher at the Dharmasthala School. A respected

educator, a disciplined professional, and a woman who believed in justice.

Her husband, Dr. Harale, was a medical doctor. Together, they were a dignified
couple serving society with their knowledge and service. But dignity means
nothing when you stand in the way of powerful people in places like
Dharmasthala.

The Promotion She Wasn9t Supposed to Get

In 1979, Vedavalli was eligible for promotion to become the Headmistress of her school. She had
the experience, the qualifications, and the reputation.

But there was another teacher, who belonged to the influential group connected to the
Dharmasthala temple side, who also wanted the same post.

Instead of following merit, the administration used their influence to give the position to the other
teacher. Vedavalli was pushed aside4not for lack of merit, but because she was not <their person.=

But Vedavalli did not stay silent.

She challenged the decision in court. She fought legally and won. The court restored her
promotion and ordered the school to appoint her as Headmistress.

It was a rare victory4a woman challenging the system and winning. But power does not take
defeat lightly.

The Murder: Burnt Alive in the Bathroom

Soon after the court verdict, in that same year4when her husband Dr. Harale was out of town4
Vedavalli was murdered.

She was found burnt alive in the bathroom of her house, using petrol.

The incident was not an accident. According to witness accounts and local recollections, the accused
was Narayan Kamath, a person linked to the powerful network around Dharmasthala.

They could not accept Vedavalli’s court victory. They could not tolerate a woman standing her
ground. So, they eliminated her4in the most brutal and cowardly way.

No protest. No justice. Just a charred bathroom and a silenced teacher.

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The Shocking Police Betrayal

What happened next was not justice4it was sabotage.

When Dr. Harale, the husband of Vedavalli, went to the police station to file a complaint, the
police turned the tables on him.

Instead of taking his complaint, the police framed Dr. Harale himself as the accused in the murder
of his own wife.

He was arrested, jailed, and treated like a criminal4all to protect the real killer, Narayan
Kamath, and those behind him.

Dr. Harale fought the case in court. After some time, he was able to submit evidence proving his
innocence, and he was released.

But the damage was already done. His wife was murdered. His name was dragged. And the real
accused walked free, protected by the same old network of influence and silence.

Aftermath: A Case Forgotten

The Vedavalli teacher case has never been reopened. The real accused never faced jail. No
chargesheet, no closure.

Dr. Harale lived the rest of his life silently, away from Dharmasthala. And now, he too has passed
away4with no justice for his wife, and no accountability for those who destroyed his family.

So what does this case prove?

That even in 1979, the system was already corrupted.

That women who rise on their own merit are not just denied4they are burnt alive.

That police and power work hand in hand, not for justice4but to crush the ones who dare to fight
for it.

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Case 5: Padmalatha 3 The Girl Who Was Punished for Her Father9s
Politics
<A PU student from SDM College, kidnapped, found naked in Netravathi River… silenced for her
father’s stand against power.=

The year was 1986. The village of Dharmasthala was simmering with political
tension. But politics did not just destroy careers here4it destroyed lives.

Padmalatha was a PU student studying at SDM College, Dharmasthala4a

young girl with dreams, caught in a trap she never asked for.

Her only fault?

She was the daughter of a man who dared to stand against the power
center of Dharmasthala.

Her Father: A Communist Party Member and Local Leader

Padmalatha’s father was a Communist Party member4a political ideology directly challenging the
feudal and religious control of Dharmasthala.

He decided to contest in the Gram Panchayat elections in the Dharmasthala area. A democratic
right. But in Dharmasthala, even a ballot paper can bring death threats.

Before the election, he received continuous threats4from the same group of powerful people
connected to the temple administration.

The message was clear: Withdraw, or suffer consequences.

But he didn’t back down.

And then… the consequences came. Not to him. But to his daughter.

The Kidnapping of Padmalatha

In 1986, Padmalatha was kidnapped.

She was a student attending college like any other day, but she never returned home. Weeks passed
with no word.

There were no search teams, no alerts, and no help from the police4just silence.

And there was one shocking detail: Her own college principal was allegedly involved in the
kidnapping. A man entrusted to guide students had reportedly become a pawn in a larger, darker
power play.

Her father9s politics, and a land issue, had made the family a target. And Padmalatha became the
price.

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Found in the Netravathi 3 After 50 Days

Fifty days after she vanished, her body was found in the Netravathi River4flowing through
Dharmasthala.

She was without clothes. It wasn’t just a murder4it was a message.

A teenage girl stripped of her dignity, dumped in the river, and forgotten by the system. The body
spoke of cruelty, of violence, and of a death that was meant to send a warning.

But no warnings were given to the accused. Because the case was never solved.

A Malayali Family Targeted in Dharmasthala

Padmalatha’s family was originally from Kerala, later settled in Dharmasthala. But like many
Kerala-origin families, they faced constant harassment.

Malayalis settled in Dharmasthala were reportedly being forcefully removed or attacked by

people linked to the temple9s inner circle. In particular, one influential person close to the temple
authorities is known to have orchestrated these attacks.

This wasn’t just a political or caste-based persecution4it was ethnic and cultural targeting, driven
by fear of dissent and control over land and people.

No Investigation. No Justice.

There was no investigation worthy of the name. No arrests, no police effort, and no accountability.

Just like every other case linked to Dharmasthala’s power circle, this too was buried.

Her parents fought for justice4but they were ignored. No media, no court follow-up, no political
support.

Eventually, both her parents passed away, aged and defeated4without ever seeing justice for
their daughter.

A Pattern of Silence

With Padmalatha, the pattern becomes clearer.

 Speak out4they threaten.

 Refuse to obey4they target your family.
 Resist4they erase your existence.
 And then the system, from police to courts, plays blind.

Padmalatha was not just a student. She was a symbol4of how far the powerful will go to crush
opposition, even if it means killing an innocent young girl.

Her name was forgotten. Until Now.

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FOREST AND LODGE BODY CASES OF DHARMASTHALA
These are the darkest chapters in the shadow history of Dharmasthala 4 where dense forests and
godown-like lodges became open graves for countless innocent lives. Behind the grand temple arch
and the chanting crowds, there is a pattern of systematic disposal of human bodies 4 mostly girls
and women, many of them naked, burnt, or dumped like garbage. This is not random crime. This is
organized, repetitive killing 4 enabled by silence, protected by influence.

FOREST DUMPINGS: DEATH BENEATH THE TREES

Based on ground observation, witness accounts, and local whistleblowers 4 the forests in and around
Dharmasthala have become cemeteries without headstones.

Main Forest Areas Where Bodies Are Found:

 Puduvettu forest
 Kalleri forest
 Boliyar forest
 Hill base behind Annappa Betta and Gommata Betta
 Netravathi River and Bathing Ghat

In these forest belts, more than 100+ cases of unidentified bodies, especially young girls and
women without clothes, have been unofficially reported by locals over the last two decades.

Locals say, <Avr helakke baypadtaare… Aamele mathadidare nange kooda hage aaguthe anta anchike... Adakke
yaaru policege hogalla=
(People are scared to speak… They fear they’ll meet the same fate… That’s why no one goes to the police.)

Pattern Observed:

 Bodies found buried shallow, half-eaten by animals.

 Clothes missing 4 most cases suspected sexual assault.
 Some bodies burnt with kerosene, reduced to blackened remains.
 Others destroyed with acid 4 bones and flesh melted.
 On exhumation (in rare cases), multiple stab wounds or skull fractures observed.

Who were these victims?

 Local girls returning from school or tuition.

 Visitors from other districts, especially women devotees.
 Tribal and landless women employed for cleaning or temporary work.
 Girls staying in private hostels or working in dharmic kitchens.

But none of them have names now.

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LODGE BODY CASES: DARKROOMS OF VIOLENCE

Dharmasthala has over a dozen temple-owned or affiliated lodges and guest houses. These places are
used to host pilgrims. But according to our investigation, they have also been used to trap, torture,
and eliminate women 4 with the help of insiders.

Lodges repeatedly linked to suspicious deaths:

 Saketha Lodge
 Netravathi Lodge
 Sharavathi Lodge
 Vaishali Lodge
 Gangotri Lodge & Others

All these lodges are directly or indirectly controlled by the temple administration network.

Modus Operandi (as per insider and spy report):

 A new couple or young woman checks in.

 In the night, power cuts or staff intervention used to isolate the target.
 She is lured or dragged to another room 4 raped by multiple men.
 If she resists or if her identity is risky 4 she is killed.
 Bodies are either:
o Staged as suicide by hanging in the same room.
o Dumped into Netravathi River in the early morning hours.
o Disappeared through lodge backdoors into forest tracks.

A former room boy confessed anonymously:

<Avar yenu maadthidru nan nodidde… Konege ond female hodlu room inda hogbardilla… Mathu enu aadru
helidre, namge case haakthare…=
(I saw what they did… One girl never came out alive from the room… If we talk, they’ll frame us in fake cases.)

Unexplained ID Cases:

UDR reports show multiple bodies found inside rooms 4 but without identity.

How is it possible?

 All lodges in Dharmasthala require ID verification at check-in.

 There is CCTV at entries and lobbies.
 Yet, UDRs mention <unknown female found dead in Room xxx= or <no ID, no clue.=

This only confirms that records were erased, ID proofs destroyed, and staff were silenced.

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Police Silence and Complicity

Every time a body was found:

 Police registered UDR (Unnatural Death Report).

 No serious FIR or forensic investigation.
 No autopsy video evidence shared with families.
 The post-mortem reports were diluted 4 mostly saying <death due to hanging= or
<drowning.=
 Families were often not even informed. In most lodge cases, the bodies were cremated
quickly as unclaimed.

Post-Sowjanya Decline in Killings

A major shift occurred after Sowjanya9s rape and murder in 2012. When the protests began and
media arrived, the number of such deaths sharply dropped.
This is strong circumstantial evidence that the murders were never accidental 4 they were
controlled by fear of exposure.

Locals say:

<Sowjanya hatya hotta mele, hege akasmikvaagi eella hatyegalu niltaaytu?

(After Sowjanya's murder, how did the killings suddenly stop?)

Final Note

What happened in the forests and lodges of Dharmasthala is not a myth. It is mass crime buried
under silence 4 carried out with impunity for over two decades. The victims had no voice. The
perpetrators had power. And the system had no spine to resist them.

This section stands as a record for those bodies buried without names, without FIRs, without
families, and without justice.

We will not let them vanish again.

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DHARMASTHALA D-GANG AUTORICKSHAW NETWORK: THE
MOVING TRAPS
In any other pilgrim town, an autorickshaw is a way to get from temple to lodge. But in
Dharmasthala, for many girls and women, an autorickshaw became their last known ride.
Our ground reports, local sources, and undercover investigations reveal that a specific network of
autorickshaws 4 backed by temple-linked influence 4 has played a crucial role in the abduction
of young girls and women around Dharmasthala.

This is not just transport. This is part of a criminal logistics chain connected to the D-Gang.

TWO TYPES OF AUTO GROUPS IN DHARMASTHALA

Locals clearly distinguish between two groups of autorickshaw drivers operating around the
Dharmasthala temple area:

1. Private Autos (Restricted Autos):

 These autos are not affiliated with the temple.

 Drivers are mostly local or nearby villagers earning honestly.
 They are not allowed beyond the temple arch, and cannot pick passengers from inside
temple zones.
 They operate with limited access and lower income.
 No major complaints linked to this group.

2. Temple-Side Autos (D-Gang Connected):

 Over 200 autos operate in and around the Dharmasthala temple complex under temple-
favored permits.
 These drivers have special access to temple premises, VIP parking areas, and inner sanctum
roads.
 This group includes a mix of real drivers and D-Gang field-level operatives.
 Multiple kidnapping and assault complaints have been linked to a few specific drivers from
this group.

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HOW THE D-GANG AUTOS OPERATE

Through our spy recordings and victim interviews, a repeated pattern emerged:

1. Target Identification
o Young girls, tourists, college students, solo women devotees 4 especially those
appearing new to the area 4 are tracked.
o Some drivers pretend to offer temple tours or quick shortcuts.
2. Forced Diversions
o Once boarded, the auto changes route. Victims are taken through isolated shortcuts,
forest edges, or unmonitored paths.
o Phones are sometimes snatched or switched off.
3. Handover
o The girl is delivered to a designated spot 4 usually a lodge, private estate, or forest
basecamp 4 where influential persons or D-Gang handlers take over.
o The auto leaves without trace.
4. Victim Outcome
o Some girls are found dead days later in forests or rivers.
o Some are never seen again.
o A few escaped 4 either by jumping from the auto in motion, or raising alarm near
locals.

One shopkeeper near the arch told us:

<Ond sala obba auto driver hudugiya kai hakidda… Avlu yellidru elli helalla. Aamele avlu siglilla.
Ee auto hudga iddane innu temple hattira.=
(Once, a driver forcefully grabbed a girl… No one knows where she went. That same driver is still
operating near the temple.)

NOT ALL ARE CRIMINALS, BUT SOME ARE DEADLY

From our investigation:

 Not all temple-side auto drivers are involved in crimes.

 Some are genuinely working-class men trying to survive under a powerful monopoly.
 But around 3 to 4 key drivers, identified from ground reports, are repeat offenders 4
linked to multiple kidnappings, including one accused in the Sowjanya case.

These men still drive freely in Dharmasthala today 4 protected by fear, silence, and influence.

COMPLAINTS IGNORED, VICTIMS THREATENED

Locals told us that:

 Complaints were filed, but police either refused FIRs or asked for 8proof9, knowing well
that CCTV is absent or erased.
 Some families were threatened into silence after lodging oral complaints.
 The temple administration denies any connection, but the special access these autos enjoy
proves otherwise.

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ONE DRIVER LINKED TO THE SOWJANYA CASE

According to local insiders, one of the drivers operating near the Netravathi lodge zone was
named by multiple sources as a key link in the Sowjanya case.
He was never arrested. His name was scrubbed from the early reports. But locals still see him
driving autos near the same place.

This clearly shows how deep-rooted and protected the autorickshaw ring is 4 and how many more
victims may have gone unreported.

CLOSING WORD

In Dharmasthala, even an autorickshaw can become a crime tool. These moving cages, painted
yellow and black, are used by predators in disguise 4 backed by power, blessed by silence.

Until each one of these predator drivers is arrested and the network is broken, no girl is safe stepping
into an auto near the temple arch.

Justice for these victims doesn’t just mean filing FIRs. It means freeing the streets of Dharmasthala
from the clutches of the D-Gang wheelmen.

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끺穌 THE JUSTICE FIGHTERS: PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROTEST

In this protest for justice 4 it is not just lawyers and petitions. It is people.
Ordinary people with no money, no media backing, no political support 4 but still standing for the
truth. Many have lost jobs, received threats, faced surveillance, but they never gave up.

These are the real voices of justice behind the Dharmasthala Files.

�㷡� Mahesh Shetty Thimmarodi 3 The Relentless Hindu Activist from Ujire

 A Hindu rights activist based in Ujire, Mahesh Shetty has been

fighting for over 15 years to expose the crimes hidden behind the
image of Dharmasthala.
 From the very first week after Sowjanya9s murder in 2012,
Mahesh has been actively involved in organizing protests,
submitting memorandums, and educating the local people.
 His entire family, including women and children, have stood on
the protest lines with placards and black bands.
 Over the years, Mahesh has faced police harassment, social
isolation, and even death threats 4 but he has never stepped
back.
 He is one of the pillars of this justice movement.

끺穫 Girish Mattannavar 3 The Honest Cop Who Walked Away from Corruption

 Former Police Sub-Inspector, Girish Mattannavar once served

inside the same Karnataka police force.
 But unlike others, he refused to be part of the corruption.
 Disillusioned by the political-police nexus, he resigned from
service and joined the people’s movement.
 For the last three years, Girish has worked directly with victims9
families, helped them file complaints, and assisted in exposing
criminal patterns.
 He is the rare insider who crossed over to the side of justice,
using his knowledge to bring the truth out.

�㷜 Jayanth T 3 The RTI Warrior and Founder of Neethi Trust

 Founder of Neethi Trust, Jayanth has been fighting for truth

and transparency for over 15 years.
 He is the key RTI activist who exposed the number of
unnatural deaths, the police suppression, and lodged legal
complaints on behalf of families.
 Every single document collected from Belthangady PS, every
death entry in UDR registers, every lodging ID mismatch 4
most of them came through Jayanth’s RTI work.
 His role in the Dharmasthala Files is like a silent engine
powering the legal fight.

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✊�㳽 The People: Poor, Middle-Class, Mothers, Students

This movement is not run by celebrities or politicians. It is powered by ordinary people:

 Poor and middle-class families who lost their daughters and are still waiting for justice.
 College students, especially girls, who protest for their own safety.
 Mothers of victims who come every year to the temple gates 4 not to pray, but to ask God
why their daughters never came back.
 Volunteers who distribute pamphlets, hold banners, and educate new visitors about the
crimes behind the temple walls.

These are the true protectors of truth in Dharmasthala.

� <We are not against God. We are against the devils hiding behind God.=

This one line has echoed in every protest since 2012.

That’s why this movement is not political. It is spiritual justice. A fight to clean the soul of a place
that has allowed rape, murder, and silence 4 all in the name of religion.

Let the records show:

Justice in Dharmasthala was not demanded by leaders.
It was demanded by people with no power 4 but infinite courage.

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An Investigative Report by Abhishek M, United Media
�㲥 THE MEDIA WALL: YOUTUBERS FOUGHT, SATELLITE
CHANNELS SOLD OUT
In any democracy, media is the fourth pillar. But in the case of Dharmasthala, that pillar has been
missing. Or worse 4 sold out.

� The Silence of Mainstream Kannada Media

While 400+ unnatural deaths, girls raped and murdered, and mass disposals of bodies in rivers,
forests, and lodges occurred 4 not a single major Kannada satellite channel dared to report it.

Instead, they were busy:

 Covering film actor weddings, baby showers, and politician housewarming ceremonies
 Broadcasting which godman wore which crown or which actress is pregnant
 Running 24/7 astrology and masala debates while ignoring mass-scale killings of women
and girls

<TV anchors cry for serial characters dying, but not for real girls murdered in Dharmasthala.=

This wasn’t ignorance 4 it was controlled silence. Out of fear, bribes, or influence by the
religious-corporate-political nexus.

þ The Real Journalism Came From YouTubers 4 Not Paid Anchors

When Kannada TV failed, YouTubers took the mic.

They had:

 No salary
 No police security
 No corporate sponsors

But they had the courage to enter the forest, sit with grieving parents, walk into crime zones 4 and
record truth.

They were threatened, mass-reported, and even targeted legally.

Yet they never stopped.

Some of the most fearless channels include:

 �㲙️ Third Eye Kannada 3 Subramanya S Handige

 �㲥 Kudla Rampage 3 Ajay
 ️ Sanchari Studio 3 Santhosh
 ý United Media 3 Abhishek M (myself, author of this report)
 ️ Edina 3 An independent voice that reached lakhs
 ✊�㳽 And hundreds of other grassroots creators, RTI warriors, and camera-holding citizens of
justice

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An Investigative Report by Abhishek M, United Media
�㶥 The Sameer MD AI Video 3 A Turning Point and a Target

In a time when most media houses were silent, one YouTuber’s bold step broke through the
censorship: Sameer MD released a 39-minute AI-generated video detailing the entire Dharmasthala
Files 4 from the Sowjanya case to the cover-ups, corruption, and powerful accused.

️ It was powerful, emotional, factual 4 and impossible to ignore.

�㷈 The impact was immediate:

 Crossed 2 crore+ views within days.

 Went viral across India and abroad.
 For the first time, North India and international audiences came to know about the
Sowjanya case, Ananya Bhat, and the larger pattern of abuse.
 People started questioning why no action had ever been taken, despite so many deaths and
disappearances.

But success came with consequences.

�㴥 When Truth Goes Viral, Suppression Strikes Back

As the video spread across platforms:

 The video was suddenly BLOCKED in India, even though it had no violent or graphic
content.
 Legal pressure mounted on Sameer.
 Police teams reportedly attempted to arrest him without a warrant, in an attempt to
intimidate and silence him.
 A false communal narrative was created to corner him 4 not by ordinary citizens, but by
online mobs supporting the accused powerful people, trying to twist the justice movement
into a Hindu-Muslim issue.
 Sameer became a target of hate campaigns, digital trolling, and offline threats.

Yet despite this, the public overwhelmingly stood by him:

 Comments, messages, and support poured in from all corners.

 Thousands of new people joined the call for justice because of that one video.

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�㷑 The Crackdown: Blocking of Kudla Rampage, Sanchari Studio, and Edina

It wasn’t just Sameer.

 Both Kudla Rampage and Sanchari Studio were targeted

for exposing the truth, with their channels facing deletion
and temporary bans.

 Despite having lakhs of subscribers, they were not immune

to the suppression tactics of those in power who sought to
shut down any dissent.

 The crackdown wasn't just on them 4 it was part of a larger digital censorship campaign that
affected numerous independent creators who dared to raise their voice for justice in Dharmasthala.

These YouTubers don9t have newsroom budgets. But they have footage, facts, and fire.

�㶨 My Own Experience 3 Abhishek M, United Media

Even I was targeted.

 For exposing the D-Gang autorickshaw mafia linked to the temple side, a false police
complaint was filed against me.
 I’ve faced constant pressure, monitoring, and backdoor threats.

And then came the mass wipeout:

�㶣 In one single night 4 over 1,500 Dharmasthala justice videos were deleted from YouTube.

 Videos by dozens of YouTubers were erased.

 To this day, most have not been restored.
 It was a digital crackdown 4 an online mass censorship, clearly coordinated.

��㳽♂� <We don9t have TRP. But we have Truth.=

This is not a media project. This is a people9s resistance movement.

In this movement:

 There are no anchors in makeup

 There are no debates with shouting politicians
 There are no sponsors funding soft stories

Only:

 Truth
 Camera
 Courage

<This is not for views. This is for victims.=

3 Abhishek M, United Media
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An Investigative Report by Abhishek M, United Media
⚖� LEGAL INVOLVEMENT
Now, in this long fight for justice, a legal team has finally joined hands to support the victims and
their families 4 without charging a single rupee.

Leading this legal support are Supreme Court and High Court advocates, some of the top
constitutional lawyers of India. They, along with their dedicated team of associates, have come
forward to represent the victims and fight the powerful system that has long shielded the accused in
the Dharmasthala cases. This is a completely voluntary effort 4 a pro bono commitment driven by
the sole purpose of delivering justice.

In the Sowjanya case, the arrest of Santhosh Rao was legally challenged. Advocate Mohith Kumar
and other legal professionals have been playing a crucial role on the ground 4 collecting case
documents, filing petitions, advising justice protestors, and pushing for transparent investigations.

This legal backing has brought new hope to victims’ families and activists who have been standing
alone for years. Now, the fight for justice is no longer just emotional 4 it is documented,
petitioned, and presented at the highest legal platforms of the country.

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An Investigative Report by Abhishek M, United Media
Witness Confession: The Temple Cleaner Who Disposed 100+ Bodies
(199532014)
In the long, dark history of Dharmasthala’s alleged coverups and disappearances, one chilling
testimony now stands at the center. On 3 July 2025, a man stepped forward under the protection of
Supreme Court advocate and his legal team 4 a man who once worked as a cleaner under the
Dharmasthala temple administration for nearly 20 years. He came not for fame, not for money, but
with the unbearable burden of truth. A truth soaked in blood, soot, and fear. A truth that had haunted
his nights for a decade since he fled Dharmasthala with his family in 2014.

This man 4 whose identity remains confidential under witness protection 4 submitted a six-page
signed complaint to the Superintendent of Police, Dakshina Kannada. In it, he confesses, in heart-
breaking detail, to having disposed of over 500 human bodies between 1995 and 2014, under
coercion and constant death threats by powerful supervisors associated with the temple management.

A Life in Shadows

He was born into a Dalit family 4 from a so-called <lower caste.= He joined the Dharmasthala
temple in 1995 as a nairmalya karmika (cleanliness worker), initially cleaning around the Netravathi
River banks and forest fringes. But what started as a menial job quickly became something sinister.
By the late 1990s, he began noticing a shocking number of dead bodies, especially of women 4
many naked or half-dressed, bearing clear signs of rape, torture, and murder.

By 1998, he was directly ordered by his superiors not to report these bodies to police 4 but to
secretly dispose of them. When he initially refused, he was brutally assaulted. They told him:

"If you refuse or speak to anyone, we will chop you into pieces and bury your body with the others.
Your family will be next."

From then on, he was forced to become the silent undertaker for a series of horrific crimes.

Details That Burn the Soul

The man describes multiple incidents that are beyond disturbing 4 some he says still replay in his
mind like nightmares.

• In 2010, he was called to a forest spot about 500 meters from a petrol bunk in Kalleri. There lay the
body of a 12315-year-old schoolgirl, wearing only a school uniform shirt. Her underwear was
missing, her body bore signs of brutal rape, and there were clear strangulation marks on her neck.
He was told to dig a pit and bury her along with her schoolbag.

• Another time, he was ordered to burn the body of a woman in her 20s. Her face had been melted
with acid, and her body was wrapped in newspaper. Her sandals and belongings were burned with
her using diesel.

• He recounts systematic killings of homeless men who came begging near the temple. These men
were tied to chairs and strangled with towels right in front of him. He was then made to dispose of
their bodies in remote forest zones.

• He says hundreds of female victims 4 from young schoolgirls to elderly women 4 were found
naked or with torn clothes, their private parts wounded, some burned with acid. Most had ligature
marks on their necks. Many of them were reportedly raped before being killed.
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He remembers every hand he buried. And he remembers every day that his own life hung in the
balance.

Mental Torture and Final Escape

By 2014, he could no longer bear the psychological torment. His own young female family member
had reportedly been sexually harassed by someone linked to the same people who gave him disposal
orders. That was the breaking point.

In December 2014, he fled Dharmasthala overnight with his family and vanished into a neighboring
state, constantly changing locations to stay alive. For over a decade, he lived in fear 4 watching over
his shoulder, carrying the burden of silent screams buried beneath the soil.

Coming Forward for the Dead

Now, in 2025, this man has come forward 4 not just to confess, but to demand justice for the dead.
He writes:

"These bodies were denied dignity in life and death. I want to show the police where I buried them. I
want their souls to find peace. And I want justice to be done."

He is willing to lead investigators to the exact burial spots. In fact, he claims to have secretly
exhumed one skeleton recently and submitted photographs and remains to the authorities as proof.
He is ready to undergo polygraph or any scientific test to prove his truth.

He clearly names temple administration-linked supervisors as those who ordered these acts 4 but
says he will only reveal the names after full witness protection is granted. These people, he says, are
highly influential and have eliminated anyone who dared to speak.

<If I am killed or disappear before I give these names, the truth may die with me. So I’ve handed over
my signed extended testimony to the Supreme Court lawyer in advance.=

An Urgent Plea

The confession closes with a haunting appeal 4 that the remains of the victims he buried should be
exhumed under police supervision and given dignified final rites. He begs that the graves he dug in
fear now become the starting point for justice.

<Let the souls of the raped and murdered find peace. Let them be known. Let them not rot in
anonymous silence.=

This is no ordinary testimony. This is the living witness of a two-decade-long operation of death
running silently through the spiritual corridors of Dharmasthala. The man who once dug graves in
fear is now digging them in hope 4 hope that truth will finally rise from the soil.

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Conclusion
The cases documented in this report reveal a disturbing and complex network of corruption, violence,
and cover-ups within the Dharmasthala region, implicating powerful individuals and institutions.
From the heart-breaking disappearances and untimely deaths of young women to the systematic
disposal of bodies and the role of the Dharmasthala administration in these crimes, the truth remains
buried under layers of influence, fear, and intimidation.

The victims, their families, and the brave individuals seeking justice have faced relentless challenges,
from official indifference to threats of violence, but their perseverance continues. The accounts of
former workers, local activists, and legal warriors show a strong resolve to uncover the truth, no
matter the cost.

The media, particularly YouTube channels and independent journalists, have emerged as crucial allies
in this fight for justice, often at the risk of their own safety. Yet, mainstream media's silence on these
grave issues only strengthens the need for continued grassroots activism and pressure on authorities
to take real action.

As this report concludes, it is not the end of the journey but a call to action for those who will stand
up for the truth. The quest for justice for the victims of Dharmasthala continues, and it is imperative
that their stories are heard, their lives acknowledged, and the perpetrators held accountable.

In the face of intimidation, corruption, and systemic failures, the demand for justice must not falter.
The victims deserve the dignity of their stories being told, the truth coming to light, and justice
prevailing4this is the ultimate goal of this report and the ongoing efforts to expose the darkness that
has long shrouded Dharmasthala.

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Annexure
Annexure I: Complaint Letters

1. Complaint by Sundri to the Mangalore SP (Double Murder Case)

2. Complaint by Former Dharmasthala Worker (Witness Protection Case)
o Date: 03-07-2025
o Content: Detailed confession by the former Dharmasthala worker involved in the
disposal of 100+ bodies.

Annexure II: RTI Documents

1. RTI Document on Unnatural Deaths

o Description: RTI responses received from Belthangady police about the unnatural deaths linked
to Dharmasthala.
o Ugrappa Report on Unnatural Deaths

Annexure III: Judgment Copies

1. Sowjanya Case Judgment

o Description: Full details of the judgment passed in the Sowjanya case, including the
court’s ruling and key statements.

Annexure IV: Media Articles and Reports

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