Mangaluru, 23 August

The complainant, who had alleged multiple murders, rapes, and burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades, was arrested on Saturday by the SIT probing the charges, officials said.

The complainant, who had so far appeared before the probe panel wearing a mask, has been identified as CN Chinnaiah, they said.

He was produced before Judicial First Class Magistrate Vijayendra, and the SIT sought 10 days’ custody for further investigation. The court granted the request, officials added.

The SIT, led by Pranab Mohanty, had questioned Chinnaiah late into Friday night. Officials said the arrest followed inconsistencies found in his statements and documents. He was later taken for a medical examination after prolonged interrogation.

Chinnaiah, a former sanitation worker, claimed he had worked inDharmasthala between 1995 and 2014, during which he was allegedly forced to bury several bodies, including those of women and minors. He alleged that some of the victims showed signs of sexual assault and had given a statement before a magistrate.

As part of the probe, the SIT has been carrying out excavations at multiple sites identified by the complainant. Skeletal remains were recovered from two locations.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara recently told the Assembly that action could be taken against the complainant if the SIT found his allegations to be false. He also said that, so far, only ground searches had been carried out and that “the probe hasn’t even started.”

The SIT alone, and not the government, would decide on the need for further digging, he added.