5 months ago
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The Belthangady tribunal has posted to December 26, 2025, determination connected taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed by Special Investigation Team (SIT) against Chinnaiah, activists Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, Girish Mattennavar, T. Jayanth and Vittala Gowda, and Sujatha Bhat successful the Dharmasthala wide burial case.
On December 9, Prosecutor Divyaraj Hegde completed his submission earlier Senior Civil Judge and JMFC, Belthangady, T.H. Vijayendra to substantiate findings of the SIT report. The submission was made arsenic per request of provisions nether the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
The SIT filed the 3,900-page study against Chinnaiah, complainant successful the lawsuit and who was arrested for perjury later, and 5 others for offences nether assorted sections of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
They include: Sections 227 (giving mendacious evidence), 228 (fabricating mendacious evidence), 229, 230 (giving oregon fabricating mendacious grounds with intent to procure condemnation of superior offence), 231 giving oregon fabricating mendacious grounds with intent to procure condemnation of offence punishable with imprisonment for life), 233 (using grounds known to beryllium false), 236 (false connection made successful declaration which is by instrumentality receivable arsenic evidence), 240 (giving mendacious accusation with respect to an offence), 248 (false complaint of offence made with intent to injure) and 336 (forgery) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The SIT has recovered that Chinnaiah filed a mendacious ailment astir burial of bodies successful Dharmasthala colony betwixt 1994 and 2014 astatine the lawsuit of the 4 activists and besides gave mendacious voluntary declaration earlier Belthangady Magistrate. The SIT arrested Chinnaiah connected August 23. He continues to beryllium successful Shivamogga Central Prison contempt getting bail, arsenic Chinnaiah is yet to get surety required for his release.
Based connected further connection of Chinnaiah and 2nd voluntary connection earlier the Magistrate astir unit by 4 activists, the SIT issued notices nether Section 35 (3) of BNSS to the activists. The activists archetypal obtained enactment by the Karnataka High Court implicit the investigation. They failed to look earlier the Investigation Officer aft abrogation of the enactment order. Then the SIT filed chargesheet earlier the Belthagady tribunal connected November 20. Sujatha Bhat was besides named arsenic accused for filing mendacious ailment astatine Dharmasthala constabulary presumption that her girl was missing from Dharmasthala.
Dharmasthala responds
Commenting connected the SIT report, spokesperson of Sri Kshetra Dharamsthala K Parshwanath Jain claimed connected Wednesday that it is present “clearly evident that a systematic conspiracy has been orchestrated against Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala.”
While urging the State authorities to instrumentality owed cognisance of the matter, Mr. Jain said the authorities has to guarantee that specified conspiracies bash not hap successful the aboriginal against immoderate different spiritual centres of devotion. “We powerfully impulse that ineligible enactment beryllium taken against the forces down this conspiracy,” Mr. Jain stated.
