Mangaluru: The Principal District and Sessions Court, Mangaluru, on Monday granted bail to C.N. Chinnaiah, the complainant in the high-profile Dharmasthala case, nearly three months after his arrest for perjury on August 23.

Judge Basavaraj allowed Chinnaiah’s bail application filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The court stipulated that he be released upon execution of a personal bond of ₹1 lakh, along with two sureties of similar value, to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional magistrate concerned.

Bail conditions imposed by court

The judge placed strict conditions on Chinnaiah for his release:

  • He is barred from speaking to the press, television channels, social media platforms, or any form of media regarding the case.
  • He must not tamper with prosecution witnesses, exercise threats, or destroy evidence.
  • Chinnaiah must cooperate with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and remain available for investigation.
  • He is required to mark attendance at the SIT police station in Belthangady on alternate days.
  • He must not leave the jurisdiction of the court without prior permission.

Background of the case

Chinnaiah had initially lodged a complaint alleging that between 1995 and 2014, he was forced to bury several bodies in Dharmasthala village. The SIT, headed by DGP Pronab Mohanty, conducted extensive investigations, including digging multiple locations indicated by Chinnaiah. Their probe revealed that the complaint and declaration he submitted before the Belthangady magistrate were false. Following this, Chinnaiah was arrested and lodged in Central Prison, Shivamogga.

Charges against Chinnaiah and others

The SIT also found that activists Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, Girish Mattennavar, T. Jayanth, and Vittala Gowda had allegedly pressured Chinnaiah to file a false complaint. A charge sheet was filed on November 20, naming Chinnaiah and the four activists for giving false evidence, fabricating evidence, and forgery.

Additionally, Sujatha Bhat has been accused of submitting a false complaint claiming her daughter, an MBBS student, had gone missing from Dharmasthala. The Belthangady magistrate is yet to take cognisance of the SIT’s report.

The bail marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into one of the state’s most unusual and controversial cases in recent years, with strict conditions ensuring that Chinnaiah remains under legal supervision during the trial process.