Supreme Court to Address Gag Order Controversy in Dharmasthala Case

The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea challenging the Karnataka High Court's recent order that annulled a media ban related to the Dharmasthala mass burial case. Chief Justice BR Gavai confirmed the hearing date after an advocate highlighted the urgency of the matter, scheduled for August 8.

An advocate representing the case claimed that approximately 8,000 YouTube channels are disseminating defamatory material against the Dharmasthala temple. In response, the apex court acknowledged that the plea is already scheduled for an immediate hearing.

The controversy unfolded when the Karnataka High Court overruled a gag order from a Bengaluru civil court, which had initially restricted media reports on the burial affair. Harshendra Kumar D, representing the temple's governing body, has petitioned the Supreme Court to remove harmful content directed at the temple's management family.

Previously, the Supreme Court declined to review a petition by a YouTube entity, Third Eye, contesting a comprehensive gag order. This order previously banned media outlets from reporting on issues associated with D Veerendra Heggade's family in Dharmasthala, alleging various unsolved murders.

The YouTube channel challenged the order's legality as it directed nearly 390 media houses to purge close to 9,000 links and reports on the Dharmasthala burial issues. These directives emerged from Harshendra Kumar's defamation lawsuit, citing unfounded defamatory content despite no specific accusations against him or temple officials in any police reports.

Meanwhile, the state government has initiated a special investigation team to thoroughly examine the allegations surrounding the case. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)