Masked complainant in alleged Dharmasthala mass burials case arrested by SIT

MANGALURU: The special investigation team (SIT), probing the alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala has arrested the masked complainant, Chinnaiah, for fabricating a story about hundreds of bodies being buried near the Nethravathi bathing ghat and other places. After intense interrogation, the SIT team arrested Chinnaiah.

The SIT had initially carried out exhumation at 17 points shown by the anonymous complainant, but when nothing concrete was found, they stopped the excavation and started investigating the masked man.

Investigation officer Jitendra Dayama and a team of about 25 police personnel conducted a thorough interrogation at the SIT office at the Belthangady police station. They posed various questions to the masked man including where he got the skull that heproduced in court, who was present when he dug up the skull, who lifted the skull from the grave.

They also questioned Chinnaiah if he dup up the skull from the grave himself in the forest, if there are any videos, and if the skulls were found in the forest, whether it a case of unnatural death. The police also questioned Chinnaiah if he had any accomplices.

The anonymous person failed to provide satisfactory answers to the questions. Instead, he gave vague responses about the location of the skulls, mentioning places like Bangle Gudde, Kalleri, Ratnagiri and Boliyar.

After intense interrogation, the SIT team established that the masked man had fabricated the entire story, and he was arrested. He was taken to a hospital for medical tests before being produced before a court today and likely taken into custody for further interrogation.

The SIT had questioned the anonymous person about various aspects and also conducted a video presentation in front of him as part of the investigation. The investigation officer had posed questions to the anonymous person, but the responses were not satisfactory.

The masked man’s arrest comes after the SIT investigation established that the entire story was fabricated and the accused had spun a web of lies