Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday confirmed the arrest of the complainant, who had alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
The minister said that the SIT is likely to continue its investigation based on the statements given by the complainant.
Parameshwara further said that no conclusion could be drawn till the SIT completes the probe in the Dharmasthala mass burials case.
The 50-year-old complainant in the case, who has been identified as CN Chinnaiah, has been arrested by the SIT and remanded to custody for 10 days.
The complainant, who is a former sanitation worker, claimed he had worked in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014. He was quesrtioned by SIT chief Pranab Mohanty and the team till late Friday night.
The home minister, while confirming the complainant's arrest, said that no further information could be shared, given that the investigation was still underway. “It is true that he has been arrested and is in police custody. As the investigation is on, no information can be shared,” PTI quoted Parameshwara as saying.
“The police investigation is on, and they have arrested him,” he said adding that the SIT would share the details of the case.
{{/usCountry}}“The police investigation is on, and they have arrested him,” he said adding that the SIT would share the details of the case.
{{/usCountry}}He said that the details regarding his arrest, including whether he has been arrested on suspicion and under what charges, are with the SIT. Parameshwara said that the probe had began based on the complainant's statements, and after his arrest, would “continue based on his statements”.
The home minister said that it would have to be identified whether the complainant has any “network”, adding that this would come to light once the probe report comes.
The officials, following his arrest, said that there had been several inconsistencies in the statements and documents provided by the complainant, who was also taken for a medical examination after the questioning.
What are the allegations levelled by the former sanitation worker?
The complainant in the case had alleged that he was forced to bury numerous bodies while working as a sanitation worker in Dharmasthala. He said that the bodies included those of women and minors, some of which also bore signs of sexual assault.
Following these claims, the complainant recorded a statement before a magistrate and indicated several such burial sites along the Netravathi River, wherein excavations were carried out.
The complainant's allegations were later supported by claims made by Sujata Bhat, a woman who said that her daughter had gone missing in Dharmasthala in 2003. However, Bhat later withdrew her statement and publicly apologised, saying the charges were linked to a property dispute with temple authorities.