Supreme Court Rejects Media Gag in Dharmasthala Mass Burials Case, Sends Injunction Plea to Trial Court

The Supreme Court has declined to impose a media gag in the Dharmasthala mass burials case, directing a Karnataka trial court to decide the temple administration’s injunction plea within two weeks.

The plea, by Harshendra Kumar D, sought to stop allegedly defamatory reporting after claims by a former sanitation worker.

The High Court had lifted an earlier blanket gag, leading to the appeal. The Supreme Court said such orders restrict free speech and should be rare, adding that defamation can be addressed through legal remedies like damages.

The trial court will now reconsider the issue.

[Harshendra Kumar D v Kudla Rampage And Ors.]