Harshendra Kumar D  – brother of Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade – has secured an ex parte injunction to take down 8,842 online links on explosive allegations made by a former sanitation worker at the Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala temple in Karnataka’s Dakshin Kannada. 

This content spans coverage by newspapers, TV channels, digital portals, YouTube creators, and social media users. Among those named are The News Minute, Deccan Herald, The Hindu, Indian Express, Times of India, News18, PTI, ANI, TV9, India TV, and Daiji World, as well as regional publications and broadcasters in Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi.

The News Minute had extensively reported on the issue, including the allegations, official inaction, and the legal tussle. Harshendra listed 8,842 links, including 4,140 YouTube videos, 932 Facebook posts, 3,584 Instagram posts, 108 news links, 37 Reddit posts and 41 tweets. Five videos produced by The News Minute, including two of the ‘Let Me Explain’ episodes, have been named in the injunction order. 

The injunction order also restrains the publishing, circulating, forwarding, uploading, transmitting and telecasting any defamatory content and information against Harshendra, his family members, institutions run by the family of the plaintiff and Sri Manjunathaswamy temple either on digital media, social media, or print media until the next hearing.

An FIR was registered following allegations by a 48-year-old Dalit man, formerly employed as a sanitation worker by the Dharmasthala temple administration. In his complaint, he claimed he was instructed to bury the bodies of women and children between 1995 and 2014, and alleged that some of the victims bore signs of sexual assault. He also submitted skeletal remains to the police, which were reportedly exhumed from one of the alleged burial sites.

Minister denies reports about SIT

An SIT, formed on Saturday, is being led by DGP Pronab Mohanty and includes DIG (Recruitment) MN Anucheth, DCP (CAR HQ) Soumyalatha and SP Jitendra Kumar Dayama. On Monday, amid rumours that an IPS officer assigned to the SIT has sought to be excluded from the team, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara maintained that such claims were far from the truth.

Judge Vijaya Kumar Rai said the court was fully satisfied that the plaintiff had made out a strong prima facie case. “Further, the balance of convenience lies in favour of the plaintiff and irreparable loss and hardship would be caused to the plaintiff if an order of ex parte temporary injunction is not granted,” the order said. Though Harshendra has named 338 organisations and individuals in his petition, he insisted on a John Doe order, which was granted by the judge. A John Doe order means the gag will apply to named and unnamed parties.

Media houses across the country have been reporting on the complaint made by the sanitation worker as well as the surrounding legal processes emerging from it. In his complaint, the sanitation worker said he worked for the temple, but he had not named anyone in particular as being responsible for any crime. However, he had mentioned ‘supervisors’ had threatened and coerced him to bury the bodies.

A John Doe order of a similar nature had been obtained earlier by the employees of the Dharmasthala temple.

The list of respondents includes Third Eye, Dhoota, Sameer MD and DTox, who have put up YouTube videos. Some of the media organisations on the list are The News Minute, Deccan Herald, The Hindu, The New Indian Express, Times of India, Indian Express, Prajavani, Kannada Prabha, Hosa Digantha, Bangalore Mirror, Udayavani, Dinamani, Dina Thanthi, Dinakaran, Samyukta Karnataka, Vijayavani, Vishwavani, News 18, Kerala, Kerala Kaumudi, Rajasthan Patrika, EeSanje, Sanjevani, Dinasudhar, Sanmarga, Hindustan Times, PTI, ANI and IANS, Mathrubhoomi, Malayala Manorama, News 18, Kerala Kaumudi, TV9 group, India TV, News X, News18, Suvarna, News First and Daiji World TV. 

In his petition, Harshendra argued that Shri Manjunathaswami Temple, Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala, the institutions run by the Educational Society, the organisations established by Dharmasthala Temple, elder brother of plaintiff D Veerendra Heggade and family members were being affected by “false, fabricated and concocted” material published by media houses.

“I submit that the invaluable good reputation of the plaintiff, his elder and his family members, the temple and the institutions run by them will be affected if any reckless allegations are made against them without any basis,” the petition said.

Harshendra asked the judge to stop any mention of Harshendra, his family members, institutions run by his family, and Sri Manjunathaswamy temple, Dharmasthala, either in digital media, including YouTube channels and all social media, or print media of any kind until the next date of hearing.

The judge said, “The court cannot ignore the fact that though the reputation of every citizen is very important, when an allegation is made against the institution and temple, it affects a wider range of people, including the employees and students who are studying in various colleges and schools. Therefore, even a single false and defamatory publication would seriously affect the functioning of the institutions.”

Third Eye, a YouTube portal named in the petition, has approached the Supreme Court, arguing that the order violates freedom of expression and has sought to have it quashed.

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