The Dharmasthala mass burial case in Karnataka took a surprising turn on 23 August 2025 when the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested Chinnaiah, the main complainant and witness, due to inconsistencies in his testimony and documentation during interrogation.
Chinnaiah, who had previously concealed his identity and was dubbed the “masked man,” had sought protection as a witness in the alleged criminal acts. Confirming the arrest, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara told reporters that while the investigation is ongoing, further details would be shared by the SIT in due time.
Another major development came when a woman named Sujata Bhat, who had earlier claimed her daughter Ananya Bhat reportedly an MBBS student had gone missing from Dharmasthala, later retracted her statement. She initially denied ever having a daughter and claimed she was misled into filing a false complaint. She has since reversed that retraction, creating further confusion around the case.
During interrogation, Chinnaiah reportedly confessed that he had fabricated his entire account. He claimed to be from a Scheduled Caste community and admitted to being manipulated by a group of individuals who allegedly used him to stir controversy. He described himself as a mere pawn in a larger scheme orchestrated by others who have remained unidentified.
Reports suggest that Chinnaiah met these individuals in Tamil Nadu in late December last year. As quoted by Kannadaprabha, he was allegedly offered money to participate in a plan to target the Dharmasthala temple. The group had assured him that he would not face any harm and that his actions would trigger more complaints, prompting a deeper investigation.
Chinnaiah stated, “I was first trained in Bengaluru on how to respond during questioning. I acted according to instructions from the mastermind. I was only a player; the real planner was someone else.”
The SIT produced Chinnaiah in court, where he had earlier claimed to have buried bodies himself and even handed over a human skull as evidence. However, during interrogation, he refused to disclose the origin of the skull. He was questioned until late Friday and, after admitting to fabricating the story, was taken into custody. The following day, he underwent a medical check-up before appearing in court.
Previously, the SIT had excavated 17 of 18 locations indicated by Chinnaiah in Dharmasthala village. Human remains were found in one of the sites and on the ground in another. These remains have been sent for forensic analysis. Chinnaiah, a former sanitation worker, claimed he was employed in Dharmasthala from 1995 to 2014 and had been forced to bury multiple bodies, including women and minors. He also alleged that some of the victims showed signs of sexual assault and had earlier given a recorded statement before a magistrate.
Background of the Fake Dharmasthala Case
The case centers around allegations of serial killings, sexual assaults, and illegal burials in the Dharmasthala area spanning over two decades. Chinnaiah claimed to have worked as a sanitation worker during this period and stated that he had recently returned to one of the burial locations to retrieve skeletal remains, photographic evidence of which was submitted to authorities.
Following these serious allegations, the Karnataka government ordered that all related criminal cases across the state be transferred to the SIT for comprehensive investigation.
Home Minister Parameshwara said the SIT will continue its inquiry based on Chinnaiah’s current and past statements. When asked if an organized network was behind the complainant, he stated that the investigation would reveal whether such a network existed. Responding to questions about the delay in administering a narcoanalysis test, he clarified that once the case was handed over to the SIT, the government would not interfere in the investigative methods chosen by the team. Known colloquially as “truth serum,” narcoanalysis has been used in previous high-profile investigations.
(With inputs from Times of India & The Week)
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