Dharmasthala case: Belthangady court rejects Chinnaiah’s bail petition

MANGALURU: A Belthangady court on Tuesday rejected the bail plea of masked complainant Chinnaiah, who has been arrested in the alleged mass burial case in Dharmasthala. Chinnaiah has been lodged in the Shivamogga jail ever since his arrest.

Chinnaiah’s bail plea had been filed as soon as he was arrested and after hearing the arguments, the court had reserved its verdict for September 16. While lawyers from the state legal services authority argued for Chinnaiah, the prosecution lawyers had opposed the bail petition.

Meanwhile, the SIT, which is probing the alleged mass burial case in Dharmasthala, is consulting lega experts on whether spot inspection (mahazar) should be conducted at the site where Vitthal Gowda dug up a skull or the entire Banglegudda area. The same skull had been presented by Chinnaiah before the police.