Dharmasthala murders case: CPI MP Sandosh Kumar writes to Amit Shah, seeks NIA probe

CPI Rajya Sabha MP Sandosh Kumar on Saturday dispatched a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting him to order a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the Dharmasthala murders case, which has sparked a major controversy in Karnataka.

Dharmasthala is a famous Hindu pilgrimage centre in Karnataka.

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“Respected Shri Amit Shah ji, I write to you with a deep sense of duty and concern, moved by the pain of grieving families and the disturbing revelations emerging from Dharmasthala, a town sacred to millions across India for its spiritual legacy and its association with Lord Manjunath.

Recent developments have brought to the fore a grim reality that cannot be ignored. What appeared over the years as isolated incidents now unmistakably point to a disturbing and systematic pattern of crimes — primarily targeting women, often silenced through coercion, and concealed with frightening impunity,” Kumar said in the letter.

“Urgent appeal for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the pattern of crimes and alleged mass concealment in Dharmasthala, Karnataka,” reads the subject of the letter addressed to Shah.

On July 11, an unidentified complainant, who had claimed that he was forced to bury several bodies of women who were raped and murdered in Dharmasthala village, appeared before a court in Karnataka’s Mangaluru district, and recorded his statement on the matter.

Writing about the past cases of criminal activities and cases, the CPI MP told the Union Home Minister that there has been a law and order situation in the region for a long time and it should be inquired into as no legal action has been taken for a number of cases in the past.

“Most chilling is the recent confession made on 3 July 2025 by a former temple sanitation worker, now under witness protection, who alleges that between 1995 and 2014, he was forced under threat to dispose of over 500 human bodies, many of them women and minors who had been sexually assaulted. He describes mass burials, acid disfigurement, and targeted killings, and has expressed willingness to lead investigators to the burial sites,” Kumar wrote in the latter.

“His confession is detailed, specific, and supported by physical evidence. These are not isolated aberrations,” he further stressed.
The criminal incidents reveal signs of an organised criminal enterprise — one that has flourished under administrative silence. Just as disturbing is the pattern of intimidation and suppression that surrounds every attempt to seek justice, the CPI MP wrote.

“Despite mass protests and years of appeals, the state government has failed to constitute a credible SIT,” he stated in the letter.

“It is for this reason that I urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to immediately hand over the entire investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Only an agency with full authority and clear mandate can unravel the extent of this alleged criminal network, identify those responsible, and restore faith in the justice system,” the CPI Rajya Sabha member added.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that his government would not yield to any pressure regarding the handling of the case. Responding to demands by a retired judge for an SIT probe, he said the government will take legal action in the matter. “We can’t take action by ignoring the law.”