The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Friday a plea challenging the Karnataka High Court’s recent decision to strike down a gag order on media coverage related to the controversial Dharmasthala mass burial case.
On August 1, the Karnataka High Court set aside an earlier interim order passed by a Bengaluru civil court that had restrained media outlets from reporting on developments in the case. The burial case has sparked wide public attention and online discourse, much of it centering around allegations involving the Dharmasthala temple and its management.
Temple Trust Moves SC Over Online Content
Appearing before a bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, an advocate for Harshendra Kumar D—Secretary of the Dharmasthala Temple trust—sought an urgent hearing, arguing that nearly 8,000 YouTube channels were circulating allegedly defamatory content about the temple.
“There are around 8,000 YouTube channels running defamatory material against the Dharmasthala temple,” the counsel submitted. The CJI responded, “I think it’s already listed for tomorrow.”
Kumar has approached the top court seeking removal of online content that he claims maligns the family managing the temple, including Dharamadhikari D Veerendra Heggade.
Earlier Gag Order Faced Legal Scrutiny
The media gag order originally stemmed from a defamation suit filed by Kumar. The Bengaluru court had directed over 390 media organisations to take down nearly 9,000 links and news stories related to the mass burial case in Dharmasthala, despite the absence of any direct FIRs against Kumar or the temple authorities.
One of the YouTube channels affected by the order, Third Eye, had earlier moved the Supreme Court against the sweeping directive. However, on July 23, the CJI-led bench declined to hear the petition, advising the petitioner to first approach the high court.
“You go to the high court first,” the CJI had remarked at that time.
Ongoing Probe & Political Reactions
The controversy revolves around allegations of the disappearance and suspected murder of multiple women in Dharmasthala, located in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district. These claims, which have gone viral online, have drawn political attention as well.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara recently stated that conclusions should not be drawn prematurely and that a detailed investigation was necessary. The state government has since constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations thoroughly.
As the matter returns to the Supreme Court, the legal and political implications surrounding the Dharmasthala case are expected to intensify.
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