Dharmasthala Mass Burial Case: SIT Arrests Complainant For Alleged False Claims
In a dramatic turn of events in Karnataka’s Dharmasthala mass burial case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested the primary complainant on Saturday.
The man, CS Chinnaiah alias Chenna, has been detained for allegedly providing false information, sources said. He was questioned by SIT officials for over 15 hours since Friday before his arrest. The officials are expected to produce him before the Belthangady court and seek his police custody for further interrogation. An official statement from the SIT is awaited.
Why Was SIT Fromed?
The Karnataka government had set up the SIT in July following massive public and political pressure. The decision was taken following a letter written by the Karnataka State Women’s Commission (KSWC) to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, citing a media report on whistleblower claims of burial of bodies at the shrine for the past 20 years.
The whistleblower, a former sanitation worker in Karnataka’s Dharmasthala, had claimed he was coerced into disposing of multiple bodies over several years.
Another Twist In The Case
Meanwhile, the Dharmasthala mass burial case took another turn when Sujatha Bhatt, who had earlier claimed that her daughter Ananya had gone missing from Dharmasthala in 2003, confessed that she never had a daughter named Ananya. She admitted in a video interview that the story was fabricated.
“It is not true. There was never any daughter named Ananya Bhat. The photograph shared was also fake,” HT quoted her as saying.
Sujatha explained that she was persuaded by activists Girish Mattannavar and T Jayanti to make the claim in connection with a dispute over ancestral property, which she alleged had been taken over by Dharmasthala temple authorities.
Shivakumar On Dharmasthala Mass Burial Case
Earlier this month, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that Dharmasthala has an 800-year-old history and stressed that no one should misuse its name or conspire against it. He added that the government would take strict action against those who misuse the name and create confusion.
Speaking to ANI, he said, “I believe I know about Dharamastala. It has very big history, 800 years of history. It’s a very sacred place; no one should misuse the name, no one should have any conspiracy on that. I’m very confident on that. Tomorrow, home minister will reply on that, I don’t want to talk about the details. Since I know well, it’s a big conspiracy. Government will definitely take action against those who misused the name and created a lot of confusion.”
Source link
