A letter written to the Ministry of Home Affairs by Member of Rajya Sabha Sandosh Kumar P has surfaced online. It contains a chilling confession by a Dharmasthala temple sanitation worker who claimed to have disposed of over 500 bodies, many of whom were women and minors who had been sexually assaulted. Following the grave allegations, the Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the criminal charges spanning two decades.

The temple sanitation worker, who, as per the Rajya Sabha MP, is the witness under protection, has expressed willingness to take investigators to the burial sites.

“He describes mass burials, acid disfigurement, and targeted killings, and has expressed willingness to lead investigators to the burial sites. His confession is detailed, specific, and supported by physical evidence,” Kumar’s letter revealed.

This comes after multiple RTI petitioners, activists, and grieving families faced direct “threats” and “online abuse” as they sought justice for the lost lives, but were met with “intimidation and suppression”.

Based on the complaint dated July 3, the Dharmasthala police station registered the case under Section 211(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). An investigation into the case has revealed that he had recently returned to the burial sites and exhumed skeletal remains he had buried between the period of 1995 and 2014.

Transfer mass burials case to NIA

Acknowledging the failure “to constitute a credible Special Investigation Team (SIT),” Kumar also stated that “The so-called ‘Acquittal Review Committee’ was never operationalised meaningfully.” He accused the local police of negligence and urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to hand over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) with immediate effect.

The letter also emphasised that no harm should be caused to Dharamsthala’s spiritual sanctity on ritual or apparent grounds. He stated, “A sacred town revered by devotees across India cannot remain clouded by fear, suspicion, and buried truths. As representatives of the people, we owe it to the victims, to the nation, and to the legacy of Dharmasthala, to ensure that the truth is uncovered without fear or favour.”

On July 15, a 60-year-old woman, Sujatha, filed a fresh complaint after new details into the Dharamsthala mass burial case emerged. Her daughter, Ananya, was an MBBS student who went missing in 2003 during a college trip to the temple town.

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Sanitation worker agreed to aid

Based on reports that came in earlier, the complainant had offered to identify the perpetrators and reveal the burial sites. The police officials revealed that the names and sketches would be submitted to the authorities. Currently under protection, the authorities have yet to confirm the authenticity of the information.

The whistleblower claimed that he had fled town earlier, along with his family, to protect them from a looming threat. In a press release issued on Friday, Dakshin Kannada SP Dr Arun K said: “The complainant has claimed he had secretly disposed of the bodies of those killed due to criminal activities.

Now, burdened with guilt, he has expressed his willingness to reveal full details of those involved in the crimes and the locations where the bodies were buried, provided he and his family get legal protection.”