Veerendra Heggade

Veerendra Heggade is the chief administrator of the Dharmasthala temple in Karnataka, India, and a prominent public figure who has served as a Member of Parliament. He is recognized for his philanthropic work and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor, in 2015. Recently, he has been in the news due to allegations made by a former temple cleaner claiming that he was coerced into burying bodies of women who were raped and murdered, which has led to major investigations and political controversy surrounding the temple administration.