The Supreme Court on Friday refused to impose a blanket ban on media coverage of the controversial Dharmasthala mass burial case in Karnataka, rejecting a plea seeking a gag order against allegedly defamatory reportage.
A bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Manmohan observed that gag orders are issued only in the “rarest of rare” cases and directed a Karnataka trial court to re-examine the plea filed by Harshendra Kumar D, secretary of the Dharmasthala Temple committee. Kumar had sought removal of what he termed “defamatory content” targeting the temple’s managing family.
The apex court clarified it had not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case and asked the petitioner to place all relevant materials before the trial court.
The case stems from widespread media and social media reports regarding the alleged mass murder and burial of women near the Dharmasthala Temple in Dakshina Kannada district. A civil court in Bengaluru had earlier issued an ex parte interim gag order restraining nearly 390 media outlets from reporting on the case and ordering the removal of nearly 9,000 related online links. However, the Karnataka High Court set aside the order on August 1.
The petitioner’s counsel told the top court that over 8,000 YouTube channels were allegedly spreading defamatory narratives against the temple and its administrators. Kumar approached the Supreme Court after the High Court’s order, seeking relief against what he claimed was a “malicious campaign.”
Notably, on July 23, a CJI-led bench of the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a plea by YouTube channel Third Eye, which had challenged the legality of the sweeping gag order issued by the Bengaluru court.
Despite the high-profile nature of the case, no specific accusations have been made against Kumar or the temple trust in any First Information Report (FIR). Nonetheless, the Karnataka government has taken serious note of the allegations. Home Minister G. Parameshwara recently stated that a thorough investigation must be conducted before drawing any conclusions about the alleged crimes.
The state government has since formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the burial case, amid mounting public interest and social media scrutiny.
Background
The Dharmasthala Temple, a prominent pilgrimage site, is managed by the family of D Veerendra Heggade, the Dharmadhikari of the shrine. The controversy erupted after unverified reports and social media videos alleged foul play in the burial of women near the temple, prompting a wave of online content and public outcry.
