In a significant win for press freedom, the Karnataka High Court has set aside a gag order that had barred media outlets, including YouTube channels, from reporting on the alleged mass burials of sexual assault and murder victims in Dharmasthala over the past 20 years. The controversial ex parte injunction, issued by a Bengaluru civil court on July 8, was challenged by YouTube platform Kudla Rampage.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, delivering the verdict on Friday, quashed the lower court’s order and remitted the matter for a fresh hearing. He emphasized that the trial court must now reconsider the interlocutory application with attention to the directions and observations outlined by the High Court.
The original gag order had been obtained by Harshendra Kumar D, brother of Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade. Kumar sought the removal of over 8,000 digital links—including news reports, videos, and social media posts—that he claimed were defamatory toward his family and the temple administration.
Justice Nagaprasanna made it clear that the High Court’s ruling was limited to the procedural aspect of the injunction and did not address the merits of the underlying allegations or counter-allegations. The broader civil and criminal elements of the case remain open for adjudication.
Reacting to the development, Kudla Rampage’s legal counsel, A Velan, hailed the verdict as a milestone in protecting journalistic integrity. “The Karnataka High Court has not merely issued a judgment—it has reaffirmed a cornerstone of our democracy,” Velan stated. He called the lower court’s injunction an “unconstitutional instance of prior restraint” that lacked jurisdiction and threatened to suppress public scrutiny on a matter of national concern.
