Dharmasthala Case Whistleblower Chinnaiah Seeks Police Protection After Bail
Chinna CN submitted a petition at the Dharmasthala police station on December 18 night. In his complaint, he stated that he and his wife were facing serious threats to their lives.
Mangaluru: Chinnaiah, the whistleblower in the alleged secret burial in Dharmasthala, who has come out on bail from Shivamogga prison, has approached the police seeking protection, fearing threat to life from a group of individuals.
Chinna CN submitted a petition at the Dharmasthala police station on December 18 night. In his complaint, he stated that he and his wife were facing serious threats to their lives.
He alleged that he feared threats from Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, Girish Mattannavar, Vittal Gowda, Jayanth, Sameer MD, and their associates. He stated that if any untoward incident occurs to him or his wife, these individuals should be held responsible. Chinnaiah has sought police protection.
Chinnaiah shot to prominence after filing a complaint on July 3 alleging that he was forced to dispose of bodies of murder and sexual assault victims while working as a sanitation worker in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014.
On July 11, he produced skeletal remains before a magistrate, claiming they belonged to a woman.
Following his allegations, the State government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by ISD DGP Pronab Mohanty, which carried out excavations at 17 locations in and around Dharmasthala, recovering human remains at only two sites.
However, forensic tests later revealed the remains that he had provided were male, later leading to his arrest for perjury. Later other charges were also included.
Chinnaiah later told investigators that he had made the claims under pressure and recorded a revised voluntary statement before the Belthangady court.
Last month, the SIT submitted a 3,900-page report before the Additional Civil Judge, naming Chinnaiah and several activists in the case.
Arrested on August 23 on charges of perjury, Chinnaiah spent over three months in judicial custody before being granted bail by the Principal District and Sessions Court on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties, subject to conditions. He is now out on bail.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Sub-division magistrate has issued an externment order against Mahesh Shetty Thimarody.
