Will the Dharmasthala Case Witness an Extension of the Complainant's Custody?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The SIT is seeking an extension of custody for Chinnaiah.
- Serious allegations have emerged regarding missing individuals.
- Investigations are ongoing at multiple locations.
- Chinnaiah has made claims of coercion and manipulation.
- Authorities await forensic reports to move forward.
Mangaluru, Sep 3 (NationPress) The custody of the complainant Chinnaiah, referred to as the "masked man", by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is set to conclude on Wednesday. The SIT is gearing up to present him before the local court and request an extension of his custody.
SIT sources have indicated their intention to seek an additional 10 days of custody for ongoing investigations.
Law enforcement has already executed searches and mahazar proceedings in Dharmasthala, Ujire, Belthangady, and Bengaluru. They are also preparing to transport him to Mandya in Karnataka, Salem in Tamil Nadu, and the national capital, Delhi.
The SIT is set to question activists Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi, Girish Mattennavar, T. Jayanth, and YouTuber Sameer, who have publicly challenged temple authorities and made serious allegations against the Dharmadhikari.
Additionally, the SIT is interrogating Sujatha Bhat, a complainant who initially reported her daughter, Ananya Bhat, an MBBS student, as missing under dubious circumstances. She later recanted her statement, claiming she had no daughter, and subsequently alleged that she was coerced into making the initial accusation.
The SIT arrested the unnamed complainant for allegedly providing false information connected to the Dharmasthala case.
After over 15 hours of interrogation, SIT officials determined that he had been misleading them.
Sources disclosed that he admitted to being enticed by certain individuals to fabricate allegations and influence the investigation's direction.
On July 11, the complainant asserted he had been compelled to bury the bodies of women and girls who were "raped" and "murdered" in Dharmasthala, and recorded this statement.
Following these grave accusations, authorities conducted excavations at 17 different locations within the temple town of Dharmasthala.
Moreover, the whistleblower purportedly submitted a skull, allegedly discovered at one of the burial sites, to the SIT.
Authorities are currently awaiting forensic science and DNA analysis reports from the sand samples collected from the 17 excavated sites.