Dharmasthala Case Falls Apart as Whistle-Blower's Credibility Takes a Hit

The man who spoke of mass burials in the temple town is alleged to have taken the police on a wild goose chase.

- BELIE THOMAS

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Dharmasthala "mass burial" case in Karnataka has arrested the unidentified complainant, also referred to as the "masked man", pseudonamed as "Bheema", for allegedly taking the police on a wild goose chase where nothing concrete emerged, SIT sources confirmed on Saturday.

The Karnataka court, on Saturday, handed over the unidentified complainant to 10-day custody of the SIT for further inquiry into the matter.

The SIT also submitted before the court that there was suspicion of involvement of more people behind the unidentified complainant. Following the court order, SIT sleuths brought him to their office, where the investigation is continuing.

Sources stated that the complainant was arrested on charges of providing false information (perjury) related to the Dharmasthala case. SIT officials, who interrogated him for more than 15 hours since Friday, concluded that he had been misleading the authorities all this while.

Police sources said that the complainant has been identified as C.N. Chinnaiah, also known as Chenna, a native of Mandya—the son of Nanjayya, born on June 16, 1980. He studied at Chikkaballi Government School in Mandya district, according to his transfer certificate, which also revealed that he left school in 1995.

SIT chief, DGP Pronab Mohanty interrogated Chinnaiah himself and found several inconsistent statements with which he cornered him.

Sources revealed that he claimed to have been lured by certain individuals who met him in 2023 and forced him to make allegations and press for a specific course of investigation, which he did.