Women write to Sonia Gandhi, demand focus on victims' justice in Dharmasthala case probe

A group of women personalities from diverse fields, including actor-theatre activist Arundhati Nag, filmmakers Kavita Lankesh and Suman Kittur, writer-journalist Vijayamma, gender and sexuality rights activist Akkai Padmashali, have written to senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi urging her to ensure that the inquiry into a series of unsolved crimes in Dharmasthala must focus exclusively on delivering justice to women and other victims.

Called "Kondavaru Yaaru? Who Killed the Women in Dharmasthala?", the campaign by the group of women seeks to bring the focus back to the issue of justice for the victims and dismantling deep-seated structures that perpetuate such violence against women.

"Unfortunately, not even a few weeks into the investigation, the matter has become the subject of intense and often salacious media coverage and political grandstanding. As a result, what should have been a moment for truth and accountability has instead spiralled into intimidatory tactics and attempts to bury justice once again," read the letter to Gandhi, dated September 4 and signed by nearly 50 women personalities.

A copy of the letter was shared with some of the media houses on September 5.

The letter pointed out that the reports in the media have been consistently hinting at possible "systematic abuse, murder, rape, and unexplained deaths involving women and students".

Local activists and journalists in Dakshina Kannada (DK) and women's rights organisations across the state have also been raising concerns and protesting about the deaths and unnatural disappearances for years now, in particular Soujanya case in 2012, Padmalatha case in 1986 and Vedavalli case in 1979, read the letter.

According to the group of women, Right to Information (RTI) data between January 2001 and October 2012 shows 424 documented deaths including that of many girls and women in just the two towns of Ujire and Dharmasthala.

The Expert Committee headed by V S Ugrappa, a former MP, set up to report on atrocities, violence and sexual crimes against women and children, released its report in 2018, said the letter.

"The committee reported an abnormally high number of unnatural deaths in the region. The committee had asked for a special police force to be constituted in the region and a special investigation to be done which has not been followed to date," according to the letter.

The women activists urged Gandhi to ensure that the focus of the SIT remains steadfastly on investigating the perplexing pattern of unnatural deaths and sexual assault cases in the region.

They also demanded that the state government leaders from the Congress Party should refrain from issuing statements that undermine the functioning of the SIT and a fair and just investigation.

They said the state government must expedite action against the erring officials responsible for the bungled investigation in the Soujanya case in order to ensure accountability as per the ruling of the Karnataka High Court, in its judgement dated September 13, 2024.

The controversy in Dharmasthala erupted after a complainant, later identified as C N Chinnaiah and arrested on charges of perjury, claimed burying a number of bodies, including those of women with signs of sexual assault, in Dharmasthala over a period of past two decades, with the implications pointing towards the administrators of the local temple.

So far, the SIT, formed by the state government, which is probing charges, has conducted excavations at multiple locations identified by the complainant in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains were found at two sites.

Meanwhile, opposition BJP and JD(S) have demanded a National Investigation Agency probe into the case. They have alleged a conspiracy behind the "smear campaign" against Dharmasthala and the Hindu temple there.

However, Veerendra Heggade, the Dharmadikari or the custodian of the temple has welcomed the constitution of the SIT.