Dharmasthala Investigation Turns: Whistleblower Arrested for Misleading Authorities

Dharmasthala “Mass Burial” Case: Whistleblower Arrested, Key Claims Found False.

The Dharmasthala “mass burial” case in Karnataka has taken a shocking turn, with police arresting the complainant, CN Chinnayya alias Chenna, for giving false and fabricated evidence. Chenna, who had previously sought witness protection and was referred to as the “masked man,” claimed to have helped bury hundreds of bodies, including young women who were allegedly sexually assaulted.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), however, found his statements inconsistent during cross-examination. His witness protection was revoked, and he was arrested for perjury.

In a related development, Sujata Bhat, who had claimed her daughter Ananya Bhat went missing in Dharmasthala, retracted her statement, saying Ananya never existed and that she had been pressured into making the initial claim.

The case, which erupted in July when Chenna approached police with a skull, had sparked major political controversy. The BJP accused the Congress of spreading misinformation to defame the temple town, while the Congress countered that the BJP was trying to gain political mileage from the issue.