Read what’s in 4,000 page complaint report submitted by Dharmasthala SIT

The report has not given clean chit to Dharmasthala Temple Administration as investigation into other aspects is still ongoing.

Bengaluru

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) that is probing the mass burial case has submitted a nearly 4,000 page complaint report before the Belthangady court on Thursday. The report was filed under Section 215 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). 

This website in the morning hours (today) reported that the SIT will be filing the report before the court today or tomorrow. (Read here). 

The court, after admitting the report, will become the complainant and later may register the Private Complaint Register (PCR). It must be stressed here that the court becomes compliant in the cases of perjury as the act is committed before the magistrate. It should also be noted that the report has not given clean chit to Dharmasthala Temple Administration which is at the centre of the controversy as investigation into Unnatural Death Reports (UDRs), missing cases and skulls found in Bangle Gudde is still ongoing. 

A source in the Home Department said this complaint report is about C N Chinnayya’s first complaint, first statement under Section 183 of the BNSS, his arrest, second 183 statement and role of activists associated with Chinnaya. The complaint report also talks about Sujatha Bhat’s frivolious complaint. It should be noted that Chinnayya is the only accused in the 39/2025 case. 

The source said the report begins with SIT’s investigation into Chinnayya’s mass burial allegations. During the course of the exhumation, the complaint report has  mentioned that the investigation team did not find any supporting evidence to back the claims made by the accused who was also complainant. However, the report also mentioned the discovery of two skeletal remains in spot number 6 and on the surface of spot number 11 (A). The skeletal remains found at both the spots were not buried by the accused. The FSL reports of these two remains are also annexed in the report. 

The SIT also brought in the report that Chinnayya during the course of the exhumation operation insisted SIT officials not to continue and his claims are false. However, SIT continued further to substantially rule out that his claims are true. 

After completing the exhumation operation, the SIT interrogated Chinnayya and arrested him on August 23.  He was then interrogated for several days as accused in the case. 

The report also mentioned that during the course of interrogation the SIT discovered that the skull Chinnayya produced before the court does not belong to any victim of violence. It was handed over to him by an activist. The report said “during the investigation it was found that the skull was picked up by activist Vittal Gowda from the surface at Bangle Gudde hillock in Dharmasthala village and later handed over to Chinnayya. The accused concocted the story of violence in connection to the skull.” 

The report also attached a forensic analysis of the skull which said it belonged to a dead male person. The accused had claimed that it belonged to a dead female.

The report further stated that Chinnayya later insisted to the investigation officer that as he lied before the court he would again record statements under 183. In the second statement, he accused activists identified as Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi, Girish Mattannavar, Jayanth T and Vittal Gowda of forcing him to lie. He also said Sujatha Bhat is also part of this group. 

The SIT in the report also mentioned about questioning of the activists as witnesses, issuance of notices under Section 35 (3) of the BNNS and finding in Bhat’s case. The SIT report does not name any advocates who were representing Chinnayya before he committed perjury. 

The sources in the Home Department said the court will now read the report and become a complainant. The court will decide on the next course of action. For both Chinnayya and activists,  if FIR is filed on the directions of court, perjury and forgery sections may be invoked.