In a new twist to the Dharmasthala mass burial case, the whistleblower has been arrested for allegedly misleading investigators by giving false information, police sources said on Saturday. The Belthangady Court on August 23 sent the complainant in the case to 10 days of custody under the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The whistleblower, a former sanitation worker with the Dharmasthala temple administration, had earlier claimed that he had buried between 70 and 80 bodies at multiple locations over a span of years. He was taken into custody after being questioned overnight.
According to officials, the worker had told the Special Investigation Team that he buried minors and women at 13 separate spots between 1998 and 2014. However, forensic examinations of the alleged burial grounds revealed skeletal remains at only one location.
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At site number six, investigators recovered the remains of a single male, contradicting the sweeping claims made by the whistleblower.
Authorities said the misleading testimony delayed progress in the case and diverted resources. Investigators are now examining the circumstances under which the worker made the statements and whether further action will be pursued.
Meawnhile, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said that the police is investigating to unearthen the network behind in the case and confirmed the arrest of the complainant.
Karnataka Legislative Council Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy suspected the possibility of a "bigger conspiracy" to "defame" Hindu temples.
"The main conspirator, the masked man Chinnaya, has now removed his mask. SIT has arrested him and brought him before the court of law, which may keep him in police custody for some time. There is a bigger conspiracy behind this. They wanted to defame the Hindu temples... Those who are joining together to form a group to blackmail the Dramasthala issue have their lies exposed. Everybody is doubting the Congress government because they are also involved in this," Narayanaswamy told the media.
The Dharmasthala case has drawn widespread attention due to its serious allegations and the scale of claims made. With the whistleblower’s arrest, the focus has now shifted to verifying facts and ensuring that the evidence gathered stands up to judicial scrutiny.
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