Mahabala Shetty, who performed autopsies of Dharmasthala bodies, quits K S Hegde

Mahabala Shetty said he resigned on a cordial note as he will be joining Alva’s Institution to help set up a medical college. He stressed that this developement has no link to Dharmasthala controversy

Bengaluru

Medical doctor Mahabala Shetty, who reportedly performed post-mortems on several bodies found in Dharmasthala, has resigned from K S Hegde Hospital. His resignation has raised eyebrows as he had previously termed the allegations against the Dharmasthala institution “a conspiracy.”

Shetty has been working with Justice K S Hegde Charitable Hospital (KSHEMA) since 2007. He also served as Head of the Department (HoD) of Forensic Medicine. He came into the limelight after the Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed on July 19 by the Karnataka government, began investigations into illegal burials and missing-person complaints in Dharmasthala village.

While Soujanya activists claimed that he was sacked from the hospital, Shetty outrightly denied it. Speaking to blrpost.com, he categorically said, “I resigned from K S Hegde on my own. The resignation has no link to the investigations into Dharmasthala. In fact, the hospital made every effort to convince me to continue the service.”

Shetty further said, “I put down my papers to join Alva’s Institution to help build a medical college.”

It may be recalled that during the exhumation operation by the SIT, Shetty had told several media houses that he had performed post-mortems on several bodies found in Dharmasthala village, and some bodies were in a decomposed state.

After the resignation, Shetty was felicitated by the department and the university. He also sent a note on WhatsApp to his colleagues.

In the message, he expressed deep gratitude and nostalgia as he bid farewell to KSHEMA. Shetty thanked the leadership team—including N Vinay Hegde, Dr M Shantharam Shetty, and N Vishal Hegde—for providing an opportunity for personal and professional growth. He reflected on 18 years of service, highlighting the significance of KSHEMA’s Forensic Medicine Department as both an academic unit and a respected brand he had proudly represented. He also acknowledged the contributions of non-teaching staff, office personnel, and the library team, emphasising their essential role in the institution’s success.

As he left, he also expressed confidence in the next leader, Dr Suraj, and in the continued growth of the department.

Mahabala Shetty said he resigned on a cordial note as he will be joining Alva’s Institution to help set up a medical college.