Dharmasthala: Chinnayya’s 183 statement recording to continue on September 25

Belthangady

C. N. Chinnayya’s statement under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) before the magistrate, which began on Tuesday (September 23), will continue on September 25, sources in the Home Ministry informed blrpost.com. This means the Belthangady court is recording his statement in two parts.

Chinnayya, who is accused in the Dharmasthala mass burial case, is also the complainant in the same case. He had first filed a complaint at Dharmasthala police station, alleging that he was coerced into burying bodies illegally. He subsequently recorded his statement before the magistrate in this regard. Based on his testimony, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed on July 19, conducted exhumations at 15 locations and recovered two skeletal remains—one at the 6th spot and another on the surface at site 11A.

Following the operation, the SIT arrested Chinnayya on charges of perjury and forgery. He is currently in judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected by the Belthangady court. On September 19, the magistrate had scheduled his statement recording, but failed to appear.

During a hearing of a writ of mandamus in the mass burial case, High Court judge Justice M. Nagaprasanna expressed surprise at the magistrate’s delay in recording the statement. A fresh date was then fixed. Sources said only two people—the magistrate and Chinnayya—were present in the court hall during the statement recording. Since the process was not completed, another date was set.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Commissioner of Puttur Division issued an order on September 17 exiling Soujanya activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi from Dakshina Kannada district for one year. He has been directed to stay in Manvi taluk of Raichur district. Thimarodi is currently untraceable.