Dharmasthala Case: SC to hear pea against Karnataka HC order lifting media gag on August 8

The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would hear on August 8 a plea challenging the recent Karnataka High Court order that lifted a media gag on the controversial Dharmasthala mass burial case, which has triggered intense online coverage and defamation claims.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India, Justice B.R. Gavai agreed to list the matter for Friday after an advocate appearing for the petitioner sought an urgent hearing, citing the rapid spread of alleged defamatory content. “Around 390 YouTube channels are running defamatory material against the Dharmasthala temple,” the counsel submitted during the mentioning.

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The CJI responded, “I think it’s already listed for tomorrow.”

The petition before the Supreme Court has been filed by Harshendra Kumar D, Secretary of the Dharmasthala Temple administration, challenging the High Court’s August 1 order that had quashed an earlier gag directive issued by a Bengaluru civil court.

The trial court had restrained media organisations from reporting on the alleged murder and burial of women near the Dharmasthala temple in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district.

The sweeping gag order had directed nearly 390 media outlets and digital platforms to remove close to 9,000 online links, videos, and articles that were allegedly defamatory and damaging to the temple’s reputation.

The civil court passed the order in response to a defamation suit filed by Kumar, who claimed that the online content was baseless and maligning the temple and its managing family without any specific allegations against him or the temple authorities in any FIR.

The case has drawn nationwide attention after several social media platforms and YouTube channels began uploading sensational content linking the temple’s administration to unverified allegations of mass burials.

Kumar’s petition before the Supreme Court seeks the removal of such content and the restoration of the protective measures against what he terms as a “malicious online campaign.”

Notably, on July 23, the Supreme Court had declined to entertain a plea filed by the YouTube channel Third Eye, which had challenged the blanket gag order passed by the civil court. The channel contended that the order violated press freedom and lacked legal basis.

The Karnataka government has since constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations, even as the issue continues to fuel political and religious debate across the state.

With the matter now slated for hearing on August 8, the top court is expected to examine the legal tenability of both the civil court’s gag order and the High Court’s decision to strike it down, in the context of balancing freedom of the press with protection of reputation and religious institutions.