Chinnaiah
| Photo Credit: file photo
Mahesh Shetty Thimarody
| Photo Credit:
file photo
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Dharmasthala case filed a 3,900-page chargesheet against Chinnaiah, complainant in the case, Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, Girish Mattennavar, T. Jayanth, and Vittala Gowda, all activists, and Sujatha Bhat, before a Belthangady court in Dakshina Kannada on Thursday.
They have been charged with giving false evidence, forgery and other offences, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Sections cited
It was filed before the Additional Civil Judge and JMFC C.H. Vijayendra. The court has to take cognisance of the report related to offences under Sections 227 (giving false evidence), 228 (fabricating false evidence), 229, 230 (giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of capital offence), 231 giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of offence punishable with imprisonment for life), 233 (using evidence known to be false), 236 (false statement made in declaration which is by law receivable as evidence), 240 (giving false information with respect to an offence), 248 (false charge of offence made with intent to injure) and 336 (forgery) of the BNS.
The SIT will file supplementary report after receiving scientific reports from Forensic Science Laboratory and other documents related to the case.
The Supreme Court on May 5, 2025, had rejected the public interest litigation plea filed by Chinniah seeking investigation into the burial of many bodies in Dharmasthala village between 1995 and 2014. Afterwards later filed a complaint before the Dharmasthala police making the same allegations.
He later gave voluntary statement before the magistrate under Section 183 of BNSS and produced a skull stating that it was that of a woman.
Skull not of woman
The SIT found that the skull produced by Chinnaiah was not of a woman but of a 32-year-old man. Except for partial skeletal remains of male persons at two places, the SIT did not find skeletal remains from several places that were dug up. On August 23, the SIT arrested Chinniah for perjury on August 23.
During his inquiry, Chinnaiah told SIT that he got the skull from the 2012 rape and murder victim Soujanya’s uncle Vittala Gowda and his (Mr. Gowda’s) brother and he produced the same before the magistrate.
He told the SIT that he gave a false complaint and false voluntary statement under pressure from Mr. Thimarody and three activists. On his request, the court recorded Chinnaiah’s voluntary statement under Section 183 of BNSS for the second time.
Chinnaiah’s revelations
In the written objection to the writ petition filed by Mr. Mattennavar and three others in the High Court, the SIT said Chinnaiah revealed that one of the activists (among those who approached the High Court) was involved in a murder. In addition, Chinnaiah made many new revelations pointing out the complicity of activists in the case, the SIT stated.
The SIT also gathered evidence against Sujatha Bhat for filing false complaint before the Dharmasthala police that her MBBS studying daughter went missing from Dharmasthala. Ms. Bhat told SIT that she filed the complaint under pressure of Mr. Thimarody and four other activists.
Published – November 20, 2025 09:36 pm IST
