Mon Nov 24 17:45:32 UTC 2025: News Article:
Dharmasthala Case Complainant Granted Bail, Gag Order Imposed
Mangaluru, November 24, 2025 – C.N. Chinnaiah, the complainant in the controversial Dharmasthala case, was granted bail today by the Principal District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru, three months after his arrest for perjury. Judge Basavaraj approved Chinnaiah’s application under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), setting bail at ₹1 lakh with two sureties of the same amount.
However, the release comes with strict conditions. Chinnaiah is prohibited from speaking to any media outlet, including press, television, and social media, regarding the case. He is also forbidden from tampering with witnesses or destroying evidence. He must cooperate with investigators and report to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) police station in Belthangady on alternate days, and cannot leave the court’s jurisdiction without permission.
The SIT, led by Director-General of Police Pronab Mohanty, was formed to investigate Chinnaiah’s initial complaint, which alleged the forced burial of numerous bodies in Dharmasthala village between 1995 and 2014. The investigation concluded that Chinnaiah’s claims were false, leading to his arrest on August 23rd and subsequent imprisonment in Shivamogga.
On November 20th, the SIT filed a charge sheet against Chinnaiah and activists Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, Girish Mattennavar, T. Jayanth, and Vittala Gowda, accusing them of providing false evidence, fabricating evidence, and forgery. Sujatha Bhat was also named as an accused for falsely reporting her daughter, an MBBS student, missing from Dharmasthala. The Belthangady magistrate is yet to consider the SIT’s report.
The case continues to unfold with the court’s decision, highlighting the complexities and ongoing investigations surrounding the Dharmasthala allegations.
First Piper 