Mangaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Dharmasthala mass burial case submitted a 7,005-page final report before the court of the additional civil judge and JMFC, Belthangady, on Wednesday. The report was submitted by SP CA Simon before the court and includes additional documents. The 12-volume report includes statements from about 255 witnesses, FSL reports, a 4TB hard disk containing video-recorded statements, and forensic evidence, including skeletal remains and bones seized during the investigation, said assistant public prosecutor Divyaraj Hegde. The next hearing will be on Aug 29, he said.In Nov last year, the SIT filed a 3,923-page report to the court under Section 215 (2)(b) of the BNSS. The report mentioned the names of six persons, including CN Chinnayya, Sujatha Bhat, Vittal Gowda, Jayath T, Girish Mattannavar, and Mahesh Shetty Thimarody. The SIT added perjury charges against Chinnayya, as whoever gives statements to the court under oath should not lie.It may be recalled that the Karnataka govt ordered the transfer of the case about the Dharmasthala burial allegations to the SIT in an order dated July 19 last year. The SIT, which is headed by the DGP of the internal security division, Pronab Mohanty, took over the case Number 39/2025 registered at Dharmasthala police station under Section 211(a) of the BNS. The case was registered after Chinnayya, the complainant, came forward seeking witness protection and offered to cooperate with the investigation by providing information about the perpetrators and the locations where the bodies were disposed of. Following this, Dharmasthala police registered a case in this regard on July 4 last year.During the investigation, the SIT carried out searches by digging at nearly 17 locations in the presence of Puttur assistant commissioner Stella and scene of crime officers (SoCO) in Dharmasthala village. Later, during the investigation, the SIT arrested Chinnayya on Aug 23. The SIT also included charges related to perjury in connection with a skull that he produced before the court. Chinnayya, who reportedly served as a sanitation worker at Dharmasthala from 1995 to Dec 2014, alleged that he was forced to secretly dispose of bodies and later, fearing for his life, fled Dharmasthala with his family and went into hiding in a neighbouring state. Chinnayya was also present at the court.
