The Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody of complainant Chinnaiah, widely known as the &ldquo;mask man,&rdquo; has been extended by a Belthangady court till September 6 in connection with the high-profile Dharmasthala mass murders case.
The SIT sought additional custody after producing Chinnaiah in court as his earlier remand period expired. Judge T.H. Vijendra granted the extension, directing the SIT to present him again on September 6. The SIT has already submitted a progress report detailing witness questioning, evidence collection, and investigation updates.
The investigation has seen searches across Dharmasthala, Ujire, Belthangady, and Bengaluru, with plans to extend the probe to Mandya, Salem in Tamil Nadu, and New Delhi. The SIT also intends to question several activists and a YouTuber who accused temple authorities of wrongdoing.
Chinnaiah, initially treated as a whistleblower under the Witness Protection Act, had alleged that multiple women and girls were murdered and buried in Dharmasthala. His claims led to excavations at 17 sites and the forensic collection of sand samples. He even produced a skull, which was submitted to forensic labs for testing.
However, after over 15 hours of interrogation, SIT officials concluded that Chinnaiah had misled authorities under the influence of others. His protection has since been revoked. Investigators are now awaiting FSL and DNA reports to confirm whether human remains existed at the alleged burial spots.
According to officials, the major phase of the probe will begin once laboratory results are received, which will determine the next course of action in this sensitive case.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

Complainant Chinnaiah’s SIT custody extended till September 6 in Dharmasthala murder probe

Dharmasthala Case: SIT Custody Extended

Complainant Chinnaiah’s SIT custody extended till September 6 in Dharmasthala murder probe

September 3, 2025 | 23:34 IST