Over 1,000 advocates to defend media in Dharmasthala gag order case

Bengaluru

In an extraordinary show of legal solidarity, more than 1,000 advocates are set to appear before the City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru on Thursday, July 24, to represent media houses facing a sweeping gag order in the Dharmasthala mass burials case. 

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The case—registered as OS No. 5185 of 2025 in CCH-26—has sparked national attention following a trial court directive that mandates the removal of 8,842 URLs. The order, widely condemned by free speech advocates, has been described as “humanely impossible” to implement and a serious infringement on press freedom, said press release issued by advocate Yashas Balenahalli Kiran.

Legal representatives say the gag order amounts to judicial overreach and suppresses constitutionally protected expression. The collective appearance of over a thousand lawyers aims to challenge what they see as an alarming precedent with consequences for journalism and civil liberties across Karnataka and the country.

“This is not just about one case—it is about protecting the fundamental right to free speech and due process,” said Kiran, one of the legal representatives leading the effort.

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