Devotees move court to stop use of Dharmasthala temple as ‘shield’ in SIT probe

Bengaluru

In a first-of-its-kind legal action in India, two devotees of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala have filed a civil suit in the Bengaluru City Civil and Sessions Court seeking to halt the alleged misuse of the temple’s name as a “shield” to protect those accused in an ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe.

Filed under Original Suit No. 5813 of 2025, the petition alleges that certain media networks and individuals have been invoking the sanctity of Lord Manjunatha Swamy to defend accused persons, obstruct justice, and promote communal discord. The plaintiffs say this not only constitutes “spiritual desecration” but also infringes upon their right to unhindered worship.

In their prayer, the devotees have also accused  ARG Outlier Media Pvt. Ltd of “weaponising” the temple as a symbol of communal strife. Referring to FIR No. 84/2025 filed by Belthangady Police on August 9, 2025, they allege that the accused created and circulated content portraying protests for justice as part of a conspiracy by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) to attack a Hindu holy site. The plaintiffs contend that this attempt to transform a sacred place of universal worship into a flashpoint for religious hatred is an “intolerable act of spiritual profondement.”

The court has issued emergent notices to ARG Outlier Media Pvt. Ltd., Asianet News Network Pvt. Ltd., Vasanth Giliyar, and unnamed online individuals (John Doe). While acknowledging the seriousness of the grievance, the court stated the defendants must be heard before ruling on the request for a temporary injunction. The matter is posted for further hearing on August 23, 2025.

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