Dharmasthala case: Court extends police custody of complainant Chinnaiah

Mangaluru (Karnataka): A court on Wednesday extended the police custody of C N Chinnaiah, who had alleged multiple murders, rapes, and burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades, until September 6.

He was arrested on August 23 by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the charges in connection with the Dharmasthala case.

Following the end of his 12-day custody, accused Chinnaiah appeared before Judge Vijayendra H T at the Belthangady Additional Civil and First Class Magistrate Court at 3 PM today.

The court ordered that he be remanded back to the SIT until September 6.

Meanwhile, the SIT probing the Dharmasthala case has received fresh input from locals, who claim to have witnessed the burials and are ready to guide investigators to the sites.

In a letter submitted to the SIT, resident Tukaram Gowda stated that some villagers had seen bodies being buried discreetly in specific locations. He said these areas were deliberately chosen to keep the activity hidden from public view.

Gowda added that the witnesses are prepared to show the exact spots to the investigating officers.

Gowda, representing the villagers, urged the authorities to conduct a fair investigation and assured cooperation from locals. He emphasised that the truth could be unearthed if the SIT pursues the case without bias.

The SIT has not issued a response to the letter, but officials indicated that all leads will be examined as part of the ongoing inquiry.

A controversy erupted after Chinnaiah, who was arrested on charges of perjury, claimed burying a number of bodies, including those of women with signs of sexual assault in Dharmasthala over a period of time, with the implications pointing towards the administrators of the local temple.

The BJP had protested against targeting the temple. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had also warned of action if the complaint was false.

Veerendra Heggade, the Dharmadhikari or the custodian of the temple too had welcomed the constitution of the SIT.