Justice Buried? Dharmasthala, the Constitution, and the Demand for Accountability

 

 

Dharmasthala’s Whispered Skeletons Call for Constitutional Accountability? Is Justice Buried? 

🔍 1. Informative | What’s Happening in Dharmasthala?

• On July 17, 2025, Justice V. Gopala Gowda, senior advocates, and civil society activists publicly demanded a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) into allegations of mass burials and sexual violence in Dharmasthala, Karnataka.

They cited:

• Slow investigation progress.

• Leaked witness statements.

• Coercion of the whistleblower—a former sanitation worker who claimed to have buried victims.

• The whistleblower offered to identify burial sites but remains without police protection.

Despite CM Siddaramaiah acknowledging the seriousness of the matter and receiving a memorandum, no formal SIT has yet been constituted. The current probe is led by a local Sub-Inspector, drawing criticism for its lack of capacity and independence.

The Karnataka State Women’s Commission has also backed the demand, highlighting decades of missing girls and students in the region.

🎯 2. Interesting | Why This Case Is Not Just Criminal—It’s Constitutional

This isn’t just about crimes—it’s about public trust, state accountability, and human dignity.

Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees every individual—alive or dead—a right to dignity and due process.

The State’s duty isn't limited to prosecuting; it extends to protecting witnesses, preventing coercion, and ensuring transparency.

Dharmasthala, traditionally viewed as a sacred space, is now entangled in allegations that demand institutional courage.

Justice Gowda’s warning—that harm to the whistleblower or lawyers would make the government liable—is not rhetorical. It’s a constitutional caution rooted in the principles of judicial independence and citizen safety.

❓ 3. Interrogative | Questions That Should Shake Us All

• Can we allow death, silence, and neglect to define our justice system?

• Why is a Sub-Inspector leading a probe into possible decades-long systemic violence?

• What does it mean for a democracy when whistleblowers remain unprotected?

• If institutions can’t guarantee transparency in trauma, what legacy do we leave behind?

📌 Conclusion: A Call to Action

The Dharmasthala case is a test—not just of Karnataka’s justice machinery, but of India’s constitutional conscience. If justice is delayed, obstructed, or politically diluted, we must ask—are we witnessing a mass burial of truth itself?

It’s time to demand:

• A judicially monitored SIT.

• Immediate witness protection.

• Transparent forensic investigation.

• Accountability from the highest offices.