Dharmasthala Row Escalates: BJP Alleges Foreign Funding, CM Siddaramaiah Counters with Twist
Bengaluru: In a major crackdown on online defamation, a Bengaluru court has ordered the removal of 8,842 defamatory links—including YouTube videos, news articles, and social media posts—targeting Harshendra Kumar D, the brother of Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr. Veerendra Heggade, in connection with sensational allegations over the burial of bodies at the Dharmasthala temple.
The order was passed by X Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge Vijaya Kumar Rai in response to a defamation suit filed by the Secretary of Sri Manjunathaswamy Temple, following a wave of unverified media reports and viral online claims. The controversy stems from a sanitation worker’s statement alleging that he was ordered to bury multiple bodies—claims that did not name Kumar or his family, nor were supported by any police FIR.
The judge observed that such unsubstantiated allegations, even if made indirectly, could cause serious reputational damage to the temple and its associated institutions, including educational establishments.
“A single false and defamatory publication would seriously affect the functioning of the institutions, their students and staff,” the order stated.
Kumar submitted a detailed list of 8,842 defamatory URLs, spanning thousands of YouTube links, Facebook and Instagram posts, media articles, and social handles. He contended that despite his name not appearing in any police FIR, malicious content continued to circulate, harming the reputation of the temple trust and his own image.
The court issued a John Doe order to cover unnamed individuals and barred media houses and YouTube channels from further sharing or publishing defamatory content against Kumar. It also directed the removal or de-indexing of already uploaded content.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for August 5.
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