Chinnayya, widely known as the 'mask man' at the centre of the Dharmasthala skull case, has told the Karnataka High Court that he was used as a pawn in a larger conspiracy to malign Dharmasthala, the prominent Hindu pilgrimage centre in Karnataka. A writ petition to this effect was filed before the High Court on Thursday, 12 June, triggering a bench-level notice to multiple state agencies.

What the Petition Alleges

In his writ petition, Chinnayya has named activist Mahesh Shetty Timarodi, Girish Mattannavar, Vitthal Gowda, Jayant, and YouTubers Sameer M.D., Ajay, and Dinesh, alleging they orchestrated a sustained campaign against Dharmasthala and its Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade. The petition also names multilingual actor Prakash Raj.

Chinnayya has alleged that he was told a budget of ₹200 crore had been set aside to ensure Veerendra Heggade was sent to jail, and that he was personally promised ₹50 lakh if the plan succeeded. He further claimed he was promised a cheque of ₹5 lakh for house construction, and was periodically paid amounts ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹15,000 during the course of the alleged conspiracy.

The Alleged Role of Prakash Raj

In what is among the more explosive claims in the petition, Chinnayya alleged that after filing his initial police complaint about the skull, he was taken to a resort in Kerala, where he was handed a phone and spoke with actor Prakash Raj. According to the petition, Raj spoke to him in Tamil and allegedly instructed him to make statements as directed by Girish Mattannavar.

Chinnayya also claimed he was told the actor would meet him on the 29th and embrace him. He further alleged that after the Karnataka government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), those involved reportedly celebrated, saying the time had come to send Heggade to jail.

Coercion, Travel, and Fabricated Testimony

According to the petition, Chinnayya was taken to multiple locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He alleged that at Jayant's residence in Bengaluru, he was handed a human skull, asked to hold it, and photographed — images that subsequently became central to the skull case. He claimed he was then taken to a lawyer's office and made to sign documents, and that advocate Sujatha Bhat and Girish Mattannavar took him to the Supreme Court in New Delhi.

Chinnayya further alleged that Timarodi, Mattannavar, Vitthal Gowda, Jayant, and the YouTubers directed him to point out specific excavation sites to the SIT at Banglegudda, threatening to kill his wife if he failed to comply. He stated that no human remains were found at those sites. He also claimed he was kept at Timarodi's residence in Ujire and compelled to perform domestic and agricultural work, including massaging the accused persons and working on their farmland, and was threatened with death and burial if he did not make statements in court as instructed.

High Court Notice and Likely Action Against Activists

The bench headed by Justice Suraj Govindaraj issued notices to the Home Department, the Superintendent of Police of Mangaluru, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), and the Station House Officer of the Dharmasthala Police Station, directing them to file a status report on the investigation by 29 June.

According to police sources, action is likely against the activists who spearheaded the agitation and the legal battle demanding action against the temple management. Chinnayya has contended that despite his statement to the SIT detailing the alleged plot, no action has been taken against those he accused.

The case now awaits the government's and SIT's response before the High Court by the end of June, with Chinnayya's explosive allegations set to reshape the trajectory of a case that had already drawn national attention.