Dharmasthala: SIT arrests complainant who alleged murders, rapes, burials

The man who had alleged multiple murders, rapes and burials in the temple town of Dharmasthala in Karnataka over the past two decades--on the basis of which a complaint was filed--was arrested on Saturday, 23 August, by the Special Investigation Team probing the charges, officials said.

The complainant, whose identity was kept hidden so far, has been named as C.N. Chinnaiah, the police said.

He was produced before Judicial First Class Magistrate Vijayendra, and the SIT sought 10 days’ custody for further investigation, which the court granted.

Following the complaint by Chinnaiah, an SIT was set up by the Karnataka government. The SIT on 29 June started exhuming suspected humanremains in the forested area near the Netravati bathing ghat. The operation was launched in the presence of the complainant, who had earlier pinpointed specific locations allegedly used for illegal burials.

The SIT, led by Pranab Mohanty, had questioned Chinnaiah late into Friday night. Officials said they found several inconsistencies in his statements and documents. He was later taken for a medical examination after prolonged interrogation and then arrested.

Chinnaiah, a former sanitation worker, claimed he had worked in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014, during which he was allegedly forced to bury several bodies, including those of women and minors. He alleged that some of the victims showed signs of sexual assault and had given a statement before a magistrate.

As part of the probe, the SIT has been carrying out excavationsat multiple sites identified by the complainant. Skeletal remains were recovered from two locations.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara recently told the Assembly that action could be taken against the complainant if the SIT found his allegations were false.

In a related development, the police issued a notice to YouTuber M.D. Sameer, who is under the scanner of the SIT, and ordered him to appear before the investigating officer on 24 August.

Sameer faces criminal charges over content related to the Dharmasthala case. According to police, Sameer uploaded a video in which he made allegations linked to the case.

Sameer, who commands a sizeable online following, has maintained that his videos highlight issues ignored by mainstream media. Authorities, however, allege his recent content amounted to provocation and the spread of misinformation, with the potential to disturb public order.

Karnataka: Buried bodies, missing persons