The Karnataka Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested C.N. Chinnaiah, a former sanitation worker at the Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy Temple, whose complaint sparked an investigation into alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala, according to The Indian Express.
Chinnaiah, previously masked during appearances before the SIT, was detained for perjury after inconsistencies were found in his statements and documents. He has been remanded to police custody, as confirmed by Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara, who emphasized that the arrest is part of efforts to uncover the truth behind the allegations.
Chinnaiah had claimed to investigators that he buried dozens of bodies under suspicious circumstances between 1995 and 2014. On July 11, he recorded his statement before a Belthangady magistrate. Acting on his information, the SIT conducted searches at 13 sites from July 29 to August 12, recovering remains at only one location.
Allegations of a Conspiracy Against Temple Authorities
Investigators are exploring a potential conspiracy to defame the administrators of the Sree Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Temple Trust and its dharmadhikari, Veerendra Heggade, a Rajya Sabha MP affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The probe intensified after the arrest of Mahesh Thimaroddy, a key activist pushing for the investigation, on August 21 in Udupi district for allegedly defaming BJP national secretary B.L. Santhosh.
Contradictory Claims by Complainant
A separate complaint filed on July 15 by a woman alleging her daughter, a Manipal medical student, went missing in 2003 added complexity to the case. In a subsequent YouTube video and statements to reporters, she retracted parts of her claim, asserting she was coerced into making the allegations. She initially stated, “Some people approached me and asked me to make these allegations,” and even claimed she did not have a daughter. On August 21, she told reporters that a YouTube channel pressured her to link her complaint to a property dispute with the temple, promising assistance. She later clarified that she was forced to deny having a daughter, further muddying the investigation.
Political Tensions and Calls for NIA Involvement
The case has fueled political friction, with the BJP demanding that the investigation be transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), alleging a broader conspiracy involving “foreign funds, forces, and conversion lobbies” aimed at tarnishing the temple and Hindu traditions. Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka argued that Chinnaiah’s arrest alone is insufficient, urging authorities to expose the “real conspirators” and suggesting a religious conversion angle. He called for a separate SIT or NIA probe to ensure fairness and avoid insulting Hindu sentiments.
BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra echoed these concerns, alleging that international and national media were exploited to amplify a smear campaign against Dharmasthala. “Who are the forces behind this? All must be unmasked, and strict legal action taken,” he said, labeling the episode a “systematic conspiracy against Indian traditions.”
In contrast, several Congress MLAs have urged halting the probe to protect Dharmasthala’s reputation. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stated that while the Congress respects the temple’s legacy, it cannot ignore complaints. He cautioned against conspiracies to damage the temple’s centuries-old heritage. Home Minister Parameshwara insisted the SIT probe must continue until its conclusion, despite mounting pressure due to limited evidence.
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