Why is Chinnaiah's Custody Extended Until September 6 in the Dharmasthala Mass Murders Case?

Mangaluru (Karnataka), Sep 3 (NationPress) - In a recent development, a local court located in Belthangady within Mangaluru district has decided to extend the custody of the complainant Chinnaiah, infamously referred to as the “mask man,” until September 6. This decision is part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged mass murders case connected to Dharmasthala.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) presented Chinnaiah before the jurisdictional court, requesting an extension of his custody to facilitate further inquiries, as his previous custody period was set to end today.

Judge T.H. Vijendra approved the request, granting an additional three days and instructing the SIT to bring him back to court on September 6.

The SIT has already compiled a report detailing the progress of the investigation, including witness interrogations and evidence collection.

During the proceedings, two attorneys from the Legal Services Authority advocated on behalf of Chinnaiah. Notably, the court conducted these sessions privately, barring the public from attending.

Initially, the SIT had requested an extra ten days of police custody for Chinnaiah to continue their investigation.

Law enforcement has carried out searches and mahazar procedures across Dharmasthala, Ujire, Belthangady, and Bengaluru. Plans are also in place to transport Chinnaiah to Mandya in Karnataka, Salem in Tamil Nadu, and the nation’s capital, New Delhi.

The SIT is poised to interrogate several individuals, including activists Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi, Girish Mattennavar, T. Jayanth, and YouTuber Sameer, who have publicly criticized the temple authorities and made direct allegations against the Dharmadhikari.

Furthermore, the SIT is also questioning Sujata Bhat, who initially reported her daughter, Ananya Bhat, an MBBS student, as missing under dubious circumstances. She later backtracked, claiming she had no daughter and alleged she was coerced into making the initial claim.

In a significant turn of events, the SIT has arrested an unnamed complainant linked to the Dharmasthala case for disseminating false information.

SIT officials, after a rigorous 15-hour interrogation, determined that this individual had misled the authorities, confessing to being persuaded by certain parties to make unfounded allegations and influence the direction of the investigation.

Following these serious accusations, authorities conducted excavations at 17 separate locations within the temple town of Dharmasthala.

On July 11, the complainant alleged he was compelled to bury the bodies of women and girls who were reportedly raped and murdered in Dharmasthala, formally documenting his claims.

He requested the exhumation of the bodies in his presence, asserting the victims exhibited evident signs of sexual assault.

Additionally, the whistleblower reportedly handed over a skull, purportedly excavated from one of the burial sites, to the SIT.

Initially, he was granted protection under the Witness Protection Act, receiving necessary accommodations. However, police sources indicate that this protection has since been revoked.

Authorities are now awaiting the results of the FSL and DNA analyses of sand samples taken from the 17 sites that were excavated.

Home Minister G. Parameshwara remarked that due to the soil composition at the burial sites, human remains may disintegrate, a conclusion that will be validated through laboratory findings. He noted that the primary phase of the investigation will proceed based on the outcomes of these findings.