Bengaluru: The activists who had levelled allegations of mass murders against the Dharmasthala temple management have approached the Karnataka High Court, seeking to quash the police notice and FIR filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the case.

Activists Challenge SIT Action

Activists Girish Mattennavar, Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi, T. Jayanth, and Vittala Gowda filed a writ petition before the High Court through senior counsel S. Balan.

The petition names the State of Karnataka, the Director General and Inspector General of Police, and the Chief Investigation Officer of the SIT as respondents.

The plea, submitted under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution and Section 528 of the BNS Act, challenges a police notice dated October 24, issued under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

The notice, received via WhatsApp, directed the activists to appear before the SIT in Belthangady on October 27, in connection with Crime No. 39/2025 registered at Dharmasthala Police Station.

The FIR lists multiple offences under the BNS, 2023, including Sections 211(a), 336, 230, 231, 229, 227, 228, 240, 236, 233, and 248.

Allegations of Harassment

In their petition, the activists claim they have been subjected to excessive interrogation — over 100 hours in total — and were made to sit at the SIT office from 10 a.m. until midnight on multiple occasions.

They argue that as social activists, they have long been engaged in seeking justice for victims such as Soujanya, Padmalatha, and Vedhavalli, and that their protests and advocacy efforts are protected under Articles 19(1)(a) and 21 of the Constitution of India, guaranteeing freedom of expression and the right to life and liberty.

The petition asserts that their activism, aimed at supporting the helpless and marginalized, cannot be construed as a criminal offence.

Relief Smarginalisedought from the Court

The petitioners have requested the High Court to:

• Stay the police notice issued under Section 35(3) of the BNSS, 2023.

• Quash the FIR registered in Crime No. 39/2025 and the offences invoked under the BNS Act.

They contend that the notice’s conditions — including restrictions on contacting witnesses and threats of arrest — are unjustified and oppressive.

Background of the Dharmasthala Case

The controversy dates back to July 11, when an unidentified complainant appeared before a Mangaluru court, claiming he had been forced to bury bodies of women and girls allegedly raped and murdered in Dharmasthala.

He requested that the bodies be exhumed in his presence and alleged that the victims bore signs of sexual assault, including injuries and the absence of clothing.

The shocking claims triggered widespread outrage and national media attention, prompting the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations.

The Karnataka High Court is now expected to take up the activists’ plea for hearing soon.