The courtroom had never seen anything like it. All eyes froze when the man entered, not with a file, not with a plea, but with a skull—dusty, hollow, and old. With trembling hands, he placed it on the table before the judge and whispered, “This is just one… there are 399 more buried beneath Dharmasthala Temple.”

Gasps filled the chamber. Cameras clicked. The air thickened. Some called him mad. Others went silent, too afraid to guess the truth.

But what he said next shook India to its core.

“They were all girls. Between 10 and 16. Sacrificed. Forgotten. Their bodies are under the sanctum. I saw it.”

His name has not been released for legal reasons, but according to reports, he is a former temple employee, now estranged from the religious organization. He claims to have unearthed the skull from a hidden chamber during unauthorized excavation near the outer wall of the Dharmasthala compound in Karnataka.

“No one ever thought to look there,” he continued, eyes glinting with fear or madness. “They trust too much. But faith should never replace justice.”

The judge ordered immediate forensic examination. The skull was sealed in evidence. But the questions had already spilled across media, social platforms, and living rooms. Is it possible? Could the temple hide the remains of 400 young girls? Could a holy site be the site of mass murder?

Forensic teams were rushed to Dharmasthala. Authorities closed parts of the temple complex to the public. Priests denied any knowledge. Religious leaders dismissed the man as delusional, calling his claims “an attack on Dharma.” Yet, some of the townspeople remember whispers—rumors that children disappeared long ago, that girls from poor families were never seen again after festivals.

A local woman, whose daughter vanished 12 years ago, whispered to a journalist, “I prayed at that temple every year. But now… now I wonder if my child never left.”

The temple authorities held a press conference the following day.

“These accusations are completely false. We are cooperating fully with the investigation. There is no room for such evil in our sacred place,” said the chief trustee, his voice stern, but his eyes revealing unease.

Yet, what of the skull?

Initial analysis by the forensic team confirmed it to be human, female, and aged between 12 and 14. No signs of burial ceremony. The skull showed fractures and pressure trauma. But without the rest of the body or a timeline, investigators tread cautiously. Still, a second skull was reportedly discovered the next day—this time by authorities—only meters from where the first one allegedly came.

What happens now?

India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has reportedly taken over the case. Excavation orders are being prepared. Temple followers protest outside government offices, claiming religious bias. But civil rights groups insist that if 400 girls lie in the soil beneath a place of worship, then no stone should remain unturned—no matter how sacred.

“If even ten bodies are found, it will be the largest unsolved serial killing in Indian temple history,” said retired IPS officer V.S. Reddy. “And we will have failed 400 times.”

Meanwhile, the man who brought the skull is under protection. Rumors say there have been two attempts on his life already. Some say he is unstable. Others call him a whistleblower.

A leaked page from his statement reads:

“They chose the poor, the voiceless. Girls with no one to ask questions. It was never about sacrifice—it was about power. And now they want me silenced.”

As media frenzy grows, the nation stands divided. Some cling to disbelief. Others search for justice in the dust beneath ancient stones.

Will Dharmasthala reveal its secrets? Or will the bones remain buried, hidden beneath rituals and silence?

Only time, and truth, will tell.