New Delhi: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing allegations of mass murders, rapes and secret burials at Dharmasthala, a prominent religious place in Karnataka, has arrested the complainant who had made the claims. Official sources confirmed the arrest on Saturday.
The complainant, identified as C.N. Chinnaiah, a former sanitation worker, was produced before Judicial First Class Magistrate Vijayendra. The SIT sought 10-day custody for further interrogation, which the court accepted.
Officials said discrepancies were found in the statements and documents provided by Chinnaiah, leading to his arrest. He was interrogated till late Friday night by SIT chief Pranav Mohanty and later taken for a medical examination.
Chinnaiah had earlier claimed that between 1995 and 2014, while working at the religious site, he was forced to bury the bodies of several victims, including women and minors, many of whom showed signs of sexual abuse. He had also given a statement before a magistrate supporting these allegations.
Acting on his claims, the SIT excavated sites in the forest areas along the banks of the Netravati river, where skeletal remains have been recovered.
Recently, Karnataka Home Minister G. Bhagwan told the Assembly that if the SIT found the complainant’s allegations to be false, legal action would be initiated against him. He added that so far only excavation work had been carried out and the investigation was still in its early stages.
