Dharmasthala 'whistleblower' Chinnayya alleges life threats, seeks police protection
The former sanitation worker, who recently got bail, case files complaint against five individuals
C N Chinnayya, who was recently granted bail after his arrest on perjury charges in August related to the sensational Dharmasthala burials case in Karnataka, has lodged a police complaint against five individuals, alleging life threats to him and his family, police said on Saturday (December 20).
He has identified activists Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, Girish Mattennavar, T Jayanth, Vittala Gowda, and YouTuber Samir MD — who spearheaded the campaign advocating for justice for a 17-year-old pre-university girl student who was reportedly raped and murdered on October 9, 2012, in the vicinity of Dharmasthala — in his complaint, the police stated.
He asserted that the people named in the complaint posed a threat to him and his wife as a result of his retracted statements related to allegations involving several instances of rape, murder, and burials in Dharmasthala, the police reports added.
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They are accused of allegedly putting pressure on Chinnayya to give a fraudulent complaint in the Dharmasthala case.
Chinnayya, who was released from Shivamogga district jail on December 18 after bail, approached the Dharmasthala police station the same evening, along with his wife and sister.
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He has requested authorities to give protection and prevent harassment, holding them responsible for any untoward incident. Belthangady police have registered the complaint.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Superintendent of Police Arun K said further legal procedures will be followed regarding the complaint.
In November, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was formed to investigate the claims of several rapes, murders, and burials in Dharmasthala, presented a detailed report of 3,900 pages to the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Belthangady, in accordance with Section 215 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
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The report identifies six individuals as accused, including Chinnayya. This particular section delineates the process for prosecuting offences against public justice, among other matters.
Chinnayya, a former sanitation worker, originally claimed that dozens of bodies of women and minors, some bearing marks of sexual assault, were secretly buried between 1995 and 2014 in Dharmasthala.
He also alleged that there were powerful political and influential figures behind the case. The case's observers believe that his interviews and statements have garnered Chinnayya public sympathy and given him an image of a whistleblower. He had earlier identified himself as "Bheem". The name Chinnayya was revealed following his arrest.
The SIT, however, identified significant discrepancies in his statements and the evidence provided.
(With Agency inputs)