Bengaluru court orders removal of defamatory content on Dharmasthala Temple

A court here on Friday ordered the immediate removal of defamatory content targeting the Dharmasthala temple and its hereditary head, D Veerendra Heggade and his family in connection with the mass burial case.

The 17th Additional City Civil and Sessions court's ruling follows the Supreme Court's earlier directions in a related petition.

The order comes after a civil defamation suit was filed by Heggade's brother D Harshendra Kumar, who sought relief against defamatory remarks circulated by activist Mahesh Shetty Timarodi, Girish Mattannavar, Jayanth T, and others allegedly linked to the so-called 'Burude (skull) Gang'. The court, after examining videos, WhatsApp chats, Instagram posts, and Facebook reels, held that the allegations were baseless and damaging. It granted an injunction against further defamatory activity and directed platforms to delete objectionable videos and posts.

Earlier, the Karnataka High Court had set aside an interim injunction, prompting Harshendra Kumar to move the Supreme Court.

The apex court, while refusing to interfere directly, directed the trial court to independently assess the matter. After five days of hearings, the Sessions Court reaffirmed its earlier injunction. The ruling is expected to have broader implications for the misuse of digital platforms. This judgment sends a clear message that defamation without evidence will not be tolerated, a legal expert noted. Advocate S Rajashekar Hiliyaru represented the complainant.