Has the Complainant Chinnaiah, the Mask Man, Been Granted Bail in the Dharmasthala Case?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Bail granted to Chinnaiah, the complainant in the Dharmasthala case.
- Chinnaiah was accused of misleading the SIT.
- The court imposed 12 conditions for his bail.
- His shocking allegations have triggered public outrage.
- Calls for a higher-level investigation are growing.
Mangaluru, Nov 24 (NationPress) In a significant turn of events, a local court in Mangaluru district of Karnataka has granted bail to the complainant Chinnaiah, popularly known as the masked man, on Monday in relation to the high-profile Dharmasthala case.
Chinnaiah faced arrest for allegedly misleading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that is investigating the case.
Following the SIT's report submission to the Belthangady court, Chinnaiah swiftly filed a bail application, which was subsequently approved by the district court in Mangaluru.
The court has set forth 12 conditions for his bail, including the requirement to execute a Rs 1 lakh bond.
Chinnaiah, referred to as the masked man, was arrested on August 23 in connection with the alleged murders in Dharmasthala.
He was implicated for providing false information to the authorities. The SIT interrogated him for over 15 hours starting from August 22, concluding that his statements misled the ongoing investigation.
On July 11, Chinnaiah, then an unidentified complainant, appeared in a Mangaluru court to record his statement.
He alleged he was coerced into burying the bodies of women and girls who had been raped and murdered in Dharmasthala.
He requested that the bodies be exhumed in his presence, asserting the victims exhibited clear signs of sexual assault. According to him, the bodies were discovered devoid of clothing and showed signs of violent abuse.
These shocking claims reverberated throughout Karnataka.
In light of his allegations, a retired Supreme Court judge along with various activists has called for a Supreme Court– or High Court–supervised investigation into the alleged Dharmasthala murders, which may implicate multiple victims, including women, girls, and vulnerable men.
Moreover, Chinnaiah, previously branded as a whistleblower, reportedly submitted a skull—which he claimed was recovered from one of the burial sites—to the SIT.
Although he was initially granted protection under the Witness Protection Act and provided necessary support, police sources have confirmed that this protection has now been revoked.