A former sanitation worker at the revered pilgrimage center of Dharmasthala in India’s Karnataka has revealed a dark scandal of alleged murders and rapes spanning several years, prompting authorities to launch an investigation. The whistleblower, hailing from the historically marginalized Dalit community, served at the Dharmasthala temple from 1995 until 2014, when he departed following a serious incident involving his family. His confessions, made to the police on July 3, detail a harrowing account of being forced to dispose of countless bodies, many of which were underage girls showing signs of sexual assault, all under threat of violence or worse from his temple supervisors. The man’s coming forward has reignited calls for justice and the reexamination of unsolved cases dating back decades, as the Karnataka government pledges to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation through the Special Investigation Team (SIT). The temple administration, however, asserts its full cooperation with the investigation, aiming to confront the grave allegations head-on.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/did-indian-temple-officials-cover-up-a-mass-murder/a-73415185?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
