Karnataka Police’s special investigation team (SIT) on Saturday arrested the complainant who had alleged multiple murders, rapes and burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.

The complainant, who had so far appeared before the probe panel wearing a mask, was identified as C.N. Chinnayya. He was produced before the judicial first class magistrate in Belthangady and remanded in custody for 10 days.

The SIT, led by director-general of police Pronab Mohanty, had questioned Chinnayya late into Friday night. Officials said he was arrested after his claim that he had buried over 100 bodies at Dharmasthala was found to be fabricated based on his “inconsistent” statements.

The 50-year-old former sanitation worker of Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy Temple was reportedly arrested on charges of “perjury”, according to official sources.

In a parallel development, a woman called Sujata Bhat backtracked on her claim that her daughter Ananya, an MBBS student, had gone missing in Dharmasthala. Sujata confessed that she never had a daughter called Ananya.

While giving a statement before the magistrate in Belthangady on July 11, Chinnayya had produced a skull and a few bones that he claimed belonged to a woman he had buried.

He had also claimed that the woman had been sexually assaulted before her death. However, forensic reports indicated that the skeletal remains were those of
a man who had allegedly died by suicide, the sources added.

As part of the probe, the SIT had conducted excavations at 17 sites identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi river in Dharmasthala, but only found skeletal remains at two sites so far.

Dharmstahala dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade welcomed Chinnayya’s arrest.

“Finally, the truth has started to come out. The allegations had caused immense distress to devotees and the community at large. With the latest development, we have faith that truth will prevail and justice will be met,” Heggade said.

Deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru that the state government was committed to taking action against anyone found guilty in the alleged mass-burial case. “The SIT investigation is ongoing, and the state government stands for justice and not politics,” he said.

Home minister G. Parameshwara said legal action could be taken if the SIT found the claims to be false.

However, the Opposition BJP expressed dissatisfaction with the SIT probe. The party demanded that the case be handed over to the National Investigation Agency, claiming there was a larger communal conspiracy behind maligning the temple and Hindu traditions.

“If the Congress and D.K. Shivakumar have any respect, they have to ensure that the conspirators are exposed. They should form an SIT for this or give it to the NIA,” leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka said.