The Special Investigation Team (SIT) apprehended the complainant, who had been wearing a mask, for allegedly supplying false testimony in the Dharmasthala “mass burial” case. The man, whose name was C.N. Chinnayya, was detained after being questioned for more than 20 hours.
The person who made the accusation used to work as a sanitation worker in Dharmasthala and has alleged before that he had to bury the bodies of women and girls who had been raped and killed. He also added that he had uncovered a skull in one of the places where people were supposed to be buried. Based on his statements, officials began digging up more than 16 locations on a large scale, but they could not find any substantial evidence to support the “mass burial” claims.
Reports state that the person who complained has now said that other people manipulated them into making false charges and pushing for a certain investigation. He was protected by the Witness Protection Act, but that protection is likely to be taken away today.
The arrest of the person who lodged the accusation is a huge change in a case that has already seen other important people come under examination. Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi, a Hindu activist who was leading a movement against the temple administration, was arrested earlier for saying unpleasant things about a key BJP leader. Also, Bengaluru-based YouTuber Sameer MD was accused of spreading fake information about the Dharmasthala temple through a video made by an AI.
The SIT is still looking into whether there was a conspiracy behind the false remarks.