High Court directs SIT, State to submit details of 74 Dharmasthala death cases

Bengaluru

In a setback to the Karnataka government, the High Court (HC) on Wednesday (March 18, 2026) instructed the government and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to submit details of 74 suspicious death cases.

The division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and C M Poonacha did not pay heed to the State’s argument that the SIT is already probing many missing and death cases stemming from the mass burial case registered at Dharmasthala police station.

The bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Kusumavati Gowda, mother of Soujanya. Soujanya was brutally killed in October 2012, leading to massive protests that opened a Pandora’s box pertaining to cases in Dharmasthala village. Kusumavati is represented by advocate, S Balan.

Through the PIL, the petitioner prayed that the HC direct the SIT to probe the deaths of 74 persons whose bodies were buried/cremated on the same day they were found between 1991 and 2021. S Balan also submitted that the police have not adhered to inquest proceedings and post-mortem requirements as per Section 174(3) of the CrPC.

The Advocate General (AG), Shashi Kiran Shetty, representing the State, argued that the SIT had conducted an investigation in the mass burial case and found nothing significant. Besides, the SIT is also carrying out a probe into other death and missing cases. He indicated that there is no need for a fresh investigation into 74 unnatural deaths. The AG also pointed out that records pertaining to unnatural death cases until 2010 have been destroyed by the police as per a circular issued by the government.

This argument came as a surprise, as the SIT was fully prepared to take up the 74 cases. B N Jagadish, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) for the SIT, was also present in the court hall.

Balan vociferously countered this argument, saying that the probe highlighted by the AG is a different subject matter and that the petition concerns 74 deaths. The division bench reportedly agreed.

During the arguments, Balan said that all documents in connection with the 74 cases must be furnished. It should be noted that Balan has collated preliminary details of the 74 cases. He also argued that the deaths of individuals who were residing in lodges in Dharmasthala cannot be reported as unknown, as guests book rooms by furnishing their identities. There are such cases among 74 deaths. 

Balan, talking to blrpost.com, said, “considering the petitioner’s argument, the division bench headed by the CJ directed the SIT and the State to submit all the details of the 74 death cases. This is a setback to the government, which was pushing the bench not to pass the order it did.”

Balan said, “The SIT must now secure details of the 74 unnatural deaths and submit them to the court through the State.”