Dharmasthala case: Court extends custody of complainant till September 6

Dharmasthala case: Court extends custody of complainant till September 6

Mangalore Today News Network

Dharmasthala, Sep 4, 2025: A local magistrate court in Belthangady granted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody of the 45-year-old complainant in the Dharmasthala mass burials case till September 6.

On the application by SIT on production of the complainant on Wednesday, Additional Civil Judge and JMFC H. Vijayendra granted further custody of the 45-year-old former sanitation worker to the SIT, which is probing the case.

The witness protection granted to the complainant by the committee headed by Principal District and Sessions Judge, Dakshina Kannada, Basavaraj, for a period of 60 days, expires on September 8. The jurisdictional Deputy Superintendent of Police has yet to submit a report about the threat perception to the complainant and his arrest by SIT for perjury on August 23, before the committee can make a decision on the continuation of protection.

Three summoned

Meanwhile, as part of an inquiry into the recent petition by a Mandya-based woman to the SIT that she had seen a woman similar to Soujanya being taken away by a group of people on the day she was raped and murdered in October 2012, the SIT has issued notices to Uday Jain, Mallik Jain and Dhiraj Kella. Mr. Uday Jain appeared before the SIT on Wednesday.

These three persons, whom Soujanya’s parents had accused of involvement in the murder, were subjected to brain mapping and polygraph tests, and the CBI Court had then accepted the report of the Investigation Officer in March 2015 that these three were not needed for further investigation of the case.

Compliant against advocates

In another development, two Dharmasthala residents, Rajendra Ajiri and Srinivas, have lodged a complaint asking the SIT to question Supreme Court advocate K.V. Dhananjaya and fellow advocates Ojasvi Gowda, S.K. Dheeraj, Sachin Deshpande, Y.H. Divin and Manjunath for their alleged involvement in the conspiracy to defame Manjunatheshwara temple in Dharmasthala.

They said that the perusal of the complainant’s statement in the case reveals that he had provided evidence and documents related to his complaint to Mr. Dhananjaya. Mr. Gowda and other advocates have issued press releases from the start of the SIT investigation, they poined out.

Plaint against YouTubers

Meanwhile, social activist Prashanth Sambargi petitioned the SIT on Wednesday seeking action against YouTube channels D Tox, Kudla Rampage, Mohammed Sameer, Vartha Bharati and Kannada Planet, for airing “false news.” They also aired the so called interview of the complainant who was protected under the Witness Protection Scheme illegally, he alleged.

BJP lodges complaint

Meanwhile, the Opposition BJP has filed a complaint with the Bengaluru police against objectionable content on Facebook regarding its recently held Dharmasthala chalo, seeking an NIA probe into the alleged “smear campaign” against the pilgrimage site.

A delegation of BJP leaders, led by former Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan, lodged a complaint with the Upparpet Police Station.

The complaint alleges that the objectionable social media post shows BJP leaders in a poor light with respect to the Soujanya murder case. He clarified that there has been no compromise by the party with respect to the probe pertaining to the Sowjanya murder case.