Mangaluru, Nov 24 In a major development, a local court in Mangaluru district of Karnataka granted bail to the complainant Chinnaiah, also known as the unknown mask man, on Monday in connection with the sensational Dharmasthala case.
Chinnaiah was arrested on charges of misleading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case.
Soon after the SIT submitted its report to the Belthangady court, Chinnaiah filed a bail application. The district court in Mangaluru approved his bail plea today.
The court has granted bail with 12 conditions, including the execution of a Rs 1 lakh bond.
The SIT arrested Chinnaiah—referred to as the mask man—in connection with the alleged Dharmasthala murders case on August 23.
He was arrested for providing false information regarding the case. SIT sleuths, who interrogated him for more than 15 hours since August 22, concluded that he had been misleading the authorities.
In a major development on July 11, Chinnaiah—then known as an unidentified complainant—appeared before a court in Mangaluru district and recorded his statement.
He claimed that he had been forced to bury the bodies of women and girls who were raped and murdered in Dharmasthala.
He requested that the bodies be exhumed in his presence and alleged that the victims bore clear signs of sexual assault. According to him, the bodies were found without clothing or undergarments and had injuries consistent with violent sexual abuse.
These revelations sent shockwaves across Karnataka.
Following his claims, a retired Supreme Court judge and several activists demanded a Supreme Court– or High Court–monitored SIT probe into the alleged Dharmasthala murders, which may involve the deaths of multiple women, girls, and destitute men.
In addition, Chinnaiah, then known as the whistleblower, reportedly submitted a skull—allegedly recovered from one of the burial sites—to the SIT.
He was protected under the Witness Protection Act and given the necessary facilities. However, police sources have now confirmed that the protection granted to him under the Act has been revoked.
--IANS
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