Karnataka High Court Quashes FIR Against Activist Over Social Media Posts On Dharmasthala Temple After Undertaking To Maintain Harmony

The Karnataka High Court quashed an FIR registered against social activist Girish Mattenavar, accused of making objectionable social media posts concerning the administration of Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala temple, after he filed an affidavit assuring that he would not post such material and undertook to maintain harmony. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 253]

The temple town recently made headlines, after a sanitation worker claimed that he was coerced to bury hundreds of bodies of women and children between 1995 and 2014.

The single judge bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna disposed of Mattenavar's plea seeking quashing of a 2026 FIR for offences under Section 353(2) [criminalising circulation of false information to promote enmity, hatred, or ill-will amongst communities] of the BNS, currently pending before the Magistrate Court of Belthangady.

“…Learned counsel for petitioner files an affidavit of undertaking of the petitioner indicating that the petitioner would maintain peace, harmony and good conduct…. the affidavit of undertaking of the petitioner is taken on record and accepting the same, the criminal petition stands disposed and the impugned crime in Crime No.28/2026, pending before the Court of Additional Civil Judge and JMFC, Belthangady, stands quashed”, the court noted in the order.

The court also underscored that the 'matter will be viewed seriously' if Mattenavar were to violate the terms mentioned in the affidavit.

In the affidavit, the petitioner, who described himself as a devotee of Lord Sri Manjunatha and Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala, submitted that he has the highest regard for the rule of law and the judicial process, and has always endeavoured to act within the four corners of law.

The petitioner solemnly undertook that he shall not thereafter post, publish, circulate or share any material of the nature complained of in the present proceedings on Instagram or on any other social media platform or website. He assured the Court that he shall exercise utmost care and restraint while using social media and shall refrain from making any post or publication which may give rise to similar allegations.

Significantly, the petitioner clarified that neither in the alleged social media posts forming the subject matter of the present proceedings, nor in any of his previous social media posts, nor during the course of public protests seeking justice for Soujanya and other victims of alleged offences in and around Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala, had he ever made any derogatory remarks against the Temple, its sacred traditions or the presiding deity Lord Sri Manjunatha.

He had only appealed to the authorities of power to conduct a fair, impartial and effective investigation so as to secure justice to the victims and their families, in pursuance of justice, and not based on any personal agenda, the affidavit reads.

He emphasizes in the affidavit that at no point of time, he had any intention to disrespect, malign or cast any aspersion upon Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala or the deity.

The petitioner was represented by Advocate Ranganath Reddy R. The State was represented by State Public Prosecutor B.N. Jagadeesha.

In a related petition filed by Ex- Sanitation worker Chinna C.N. seeking a direction to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to file a final report and take action against the alleged conspirators named in the preliminary report, Mattenavar has been pointed out as one of the "masterminds" behind the alleged plot of Dharmasthala Mass Burials.

Case Title: Sri Girish Mattenavar v. State of Karnataka & Anr.

Case No: CRL.P No. 7620/2026

Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 253

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