The Dharmasthala “mass burial” case in Karnataka has taken a shocking turn with the arrest of the primary complainant, CN Chinnayya, also known as Chenna.
He was arrested for perjury after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) determined that his claims of witnessing mass rapes and murders and helping bury hundreds of bodies were false and fabricated.
The case began in July when Chenna, who had kept his identity hidden, came forward with a skull and claimed he had been forced to bury bodies in the Dakshin Kannada district. He had told police he was now willing to turn a witness and reveal the burial locations, which led to a formal investigation. The SIT, however, became suspicious during its inquiry and arrested him for lying after cross-questioning.
In a separate but related development, a woman named Sujata Bhat has also been involved in a “shocking U-turn.” She had initially claimed her daughter, an MBBS student, went missing in Dharmasthala. She later told a local YouTube channel that her daughter never existed but has since retracted that statement, claiming she was under duress when she made it.
The case has become a major political issue. The BJP has accused the Congress government of a “massive conspiracy” and an “anti-Hindutva” agenda, alleging that the initial claims were an attempt to defame the temple town. BJP Karnataka chief B.Y. Vijayendra claimed that “leftist and communist hands” were behind the plot. In response, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stated that the government is conducting a fair investigation and urged all parties to stop politicizing a religious issue.
