Rajamahendravaram: Expressing deep concern over the alleged atrocities committed against hundreds of girls and women at the Dharmasthala Manjunatha temple in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh Women Federation (Affiliation to NFIW) district secretary P Lavanya has demanded a thorough investigation and stringent punishment for the culprits.

Leading a protest on Tuesday in front of SKR Women’s College in Rajamahendravaram, Lavanya alleged that women were being exploited under the guise of spirituality and devotion.

She said the incident had triggered widespread fear and outrage among the public.

Citing reports, Lavanya claimed that nearly 500 bodies were buried between 1998 and 2014, which she said reflected gross negligence by the Karnataka government and the police authorities. She added that shocking details of sexual assaults, murders, burials, and cremations were revealed through the confession of a sanitation worker before a judicial magistrate.

AISF district secretary Chintalapudi Sunil also joined the protest, demanding a status report on missing person cases from the Dharmasthala police station limits.

Srivalli, R Rajeswari, Priyadarshini, K Hema, J Gayathri, Reddy Sivalakshmi, Syamala, and Divyasri also participated.