India Today peddles fake news, SIT has not submitted preliminary report to court in Dharmasthala case

“The SIT has not given any clean chit to Dharmasthala authorities in the complaint report submitted on November 20, 2025, and the probe is still on”

Bengaluru

India Today’s website on Wednesday (10 December) carried a report (read here) claiming that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the mass-burial case had submitted a preliminary report to the Belthangady court and had named six accused in case 39/2025.

However, a senior SIT source, speaking to blrpost.com, dismissed the claim as “fake”, clarifying that no preliminary report has been filed in the case. The source further added that, apart from C. N. Chinnayya, no other individual has been named as an accused.

The India Today report had claimed that the “the SIT probing the alleged mass burial incident in Dharmasthala has submitted a preliminary report before the Belthangady court, declaring the case to be a fabricated conspiracy orchestrated by anti-Dharmasthala activists.

The report gives a clean chit to Dharmasthala authorities and names six individuals — Chinnayya (A1), Mahesh Shetty Thimrodi, Girish Mattannanavar, Jayanth, Vitthal Gowda and Sujatha Bhatt — as accused in the conspiracy.”

This was reported by Sagay Raj, Deputy Editor – Input, India Today, and written for the website by Deepti Rao, Assistant Producer. After this was published, several other Kannada television news channels carried the same fake news without having bothered to check the veracity of the India Today report.

The source in the SIT stressed that the only document submitted before the court was a complaint report under Section 215 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). This was submitted on November 20. In the report, six persons are named; however, Chinnayya is the only accused.

“India Today’s report is entirely wrong, and the reporter and editors have not done any verification before publishing the same,” the source said. The five were named for their involvement and connection with the accused who committed perjury and forgery, the source added.

The source further said the SIT has not asked for any permission to arrest activists named in the complaint, and it is up to the court to take cognisance of the report. The SIT has completed a probe into Chinnayya’s complaint registered on July 3. The complaint report is only on Chinnayya’s complaint, and no clean chit was given to Dharmasthala authorities.

Chronology of the case

Complaint filed: On July 3, 2025, Chinnayya, a former sanitation worker, filed a complaint with the Dharmasthala police. He alleged that between 1995 and 2014, he was forced to bury hundreds of bodies, many with signs of sexual assault, and disclosed at least 13 suspected burial sites.

Initial statement recorded under BNSS section 183: On July 11, 2025, Chinnayya recorded his voluntary statement before a magistrate in Belthangady under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). During this testimony, he also produced a skull and some bones as evidence.

SIT established: Amid public outrage, the Karnataka government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the allegations on July 19, 2025.

Arrested for perjury: The SIT arrested Chinnayya on August 23, 2025, for perjury (lying under oath). Forensic tests revealed that the skull he had presented in court was not human, and he later confessed to providing a false statement under coercion.

Second statement recorded: After his arrest, Chinnayya requested a fresh statement. This was done over three sessions on September 23, 25, and 27, 2025, during which he admitted to lying and implicated others. SIT then issues notice to activists.

Activists move for quashing: The activists to protect themselves moved High Court (HC) to quash original FIR (39/2025). The HC granted stay on FIR till November 12. Later, the HC vacated the stay but directed the SIT not to harass the activists.

Bail: Chinnayya was granted conditional bail on November 25

The SIT has now intensified its probe into suspicious Unnatural Death Reports, missing complaints, 38 illegal burials, and eight skulls discovered by the SIT at Bangle Gudde hillock. The SIT is also awaiting DNA reports.