Dharmasthala controversy intensifies as the ED launches a preliminary probe into alleged foreign funding linked to NGOs
Mangaluru
The Dharmasthala controversy has escalated with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launching a preliminary inquiry into suspected foreign funding linked to NGOs allegedly fuelling the unrest. Officials said the probe, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), will examine whether overseas money was used to back campaigns, YouTubers, or online content targeting the religious town.
Police sources confirmed that documents related to two NGOs, Odanadi and Samvada, have already been forwarded to the ED. Banks, including SBI, have been asked to provide PAN details, account information, and five years of transaction history connected to these organisations.
The controversy began when former sanitation worker C.N. Chinnayya alleged that women and minors showing signs of sexual assault were secretly buried in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014. He was later arrested for perjury, but the SIT has excavated sites along the Netravathi River and recovered skeletal remains at two locations, keeping the issue alive.
The political temperature has risen sharply. The BJP, which staged a massive “Dharmasthala Chalo” rally, demanded that the case be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Senior leaders accused the Congress government of shielding those responsible, while MP Kota Srinivas Poojary wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, pressing for a central probe.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed allegations of foreign funding, accusing the BJP of politicising the issue. Meanwhile, Minister Priyank Kharge alleged that activists under police scrutiny had RSS-BJP links.
With the ED stepping in, the Dharmasthala row has taken on criminal, financial, and political dimensions, pushing it firmly onto the national stage.