What Happened to the Dharmasthala Murders? 'Mask Man' Chinnaiah Remanded for 14 Days

Mangaluru, Sep 6 (NationPress) In a significant legal development, a court in Karnataka's Mangaluru district has ordered the remand of the complainant, Chinnaiah, often referred to as the “Mask Man”, to 14 days of judicial custody. Earlier today, he was presented before the court by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

For safety and security reasons, authorities have indicated that the arrested complainant will be relocated to the Shivamogga district prison.

Reports suggest that the SIT plans to request his custody again as the investigation progresses.

Following the court's directive, the SIT transferred him to Shivamogga prison. Notably, although the SIT sought an extension of custody for 10 days, the court had previously approved an extension until September 6.

Chinnaiah had made serious allegations on July 11, stating he was coerced into burying the bodies of women and girls who had been raped and murdered in Dharmasthala. He recorded his statement and requested that the remains be exhumed in his presence, claiming the victims showed evident signs of sexual assault.

Additionally, the whistleblower reportedly provided a skull, which he claims was retrieved from one of the burial sites, to the SIT.

Chinnaiah was granted protection under the Witness Protection Act, along with necessary facilities. However, he was later arrested for allegedly misleading the SIT.

The authorities are currently awaiting the results of the FSL and DNA analysis of sand samples from 17 excavation sites.

Home Minister G. Parameshwara indicated that the soil composition at the burial sites would likely dissolve human bones, a fact that would be confirmed through lab reports. He mentioned that the primary phase of the investigation would unfold based on these findings.

The SIT is also investigating the origins of the skull presented by Chinnaiah as initial evidence supporting his claims. Reports indicate that Chinnaiah has asserted that he obtained the skull with the assistance of activists, and the SIT is interrogating activists Girish Mattennavar, T. Jayanth, and YouTuber Sameer, who have publicly criticized temple authorities and directed allegations at the Dharmadhikari.

Moreover, the SIT is also questioning Sujatha Bhat, who initially reported her daughter, Ananya Bhat, an MBBS student, missing under suspicious circumstances but later retracted her statement, claiming she was coerced into making the allegation.

Additionally, the SIT is preparing to interrogate Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi and has issued a notice to Kerala YouTuber Manaf to appear for questioning concerning the case.

This investigation has taken a political turn, with leaders from the BJP, JD (S), and the ruling Congress party organizing rallies in Dharmasthala to show support for the temple management and Dharmadhikari, Veerendra Heggade.

In a separate development, a group of progressive women activists has sent a letter to senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, requesting her intervention to restrain Congress leaders from supporting the temple authorities.

Karnataka's Deputy CM and Congress state president D.K. Shivakumar has publicly stated that there is a major conspiracy against Dharmasthala, emphasizing that those involved in the conspiracy will face consequences.

Furthermore, a delegation of religious leaders recently met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, submitting a memorandum requesting the investigation be conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The delegation reported that Amit Shah assured them he is closely monitoring the situation and will take appropriate action soon.