Dharmasthala case: Identity of masked man revealed, remanded to 10-day custody

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 23, 2025: The true identity of the mysterious masked man has now been revealed. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested C.A. Chinnayya alias Chenna, a native of Mandya district, who had earlier claimed to have buried hundreds of bodies around Dharmasthala. He was produced before the Belthangady court, which remanded him to 10 days of SIT custody.

According to SIT officials, further investigation will expose the larger network behind the incident. They clarified that the probe is ongoing and cannot be considered complete. A decision on whether the accused should undergo a narco-analysis test will be taken later.

Meanwhile, the Sujatha Bhat case is also under SIT investigation. Officials stressed that no details can be disclosed until reports are finalized, as premature revelations could hamper the inquiry.

Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara confirmed that the accused is in SIT custody, but said no further information could be shared at this stage.

Questioning of Complainant Witness

Sources revealed that the complainant witness, who had initially claimed to have unearthed a body and produced a skull, failed to explain where exactly it was recovered from. During interrogation, he later admitted the skull did not belong to the alleged burial site. Following this, SIT officials took him into custody after questioning him late into Friday night.

Unlike previous occasions when he was allowed to leave with his legal team, he was kept under SIT custody on Friday night and produced before court on Saturday after a medical examination. He was then escorted to the SIT office in Belthangady by SPs Jitendra Kumar Dayama and C.A. Simon for further interrogation.

Exhumation Findings

So far, the SIT has carried out exhumations at 17 of the 18 sites identified in Dharmasthala village. Human remains were discovered in one dug-up location and on the surface at another. These remains have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis, and the report is awaited.