Bengaluru:
In a major twist in the ongoing Dharmasthala mass burial investigation, Chinnayya-popularly known as the "Mask Man"-has filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court, claiming he was a pawn in a conspiracy to malign the temple and its hereditary administrator, Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade.
Chinnayya, who previously alleged the existence of a mass grave at the pilgrimage centre, now asserts that he was coerced into orchestrating a false narrative. According to his petition, he was promised Rs 50 lakh to help frame Heggade, with a broader alleged conspiracy budget of Rs 200 crore aimed at securing the administrator's imprisonment. Following this, action is likely to be taken against the activists who spearheaded the agitation demanding action against the temple management, police sources told The Sunday Guardian.
Chinnayya has alleged that he was told that Rs 200 crore had been set aside to ensure that Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade, the hereditary administrator of the Dharmasthala Temple, was sent to jail. In his petition, Chinnayya further mentioned actor Prakash Raj's name and claimed that the activists had promised him Rs 50 lakh if their plan succeeded.
A writ petition in this regard was filed before the Karnataka High Court on Thursday.
A bench headed by Justice Suraj Govindaraj issued notices to the Home Department, the Superintendent of Police of Mangaluru, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), and the Station House Officer of the Dharmasthala police station, directing them to submit a status report on the investigation by June 29.
Chinnayya approached the Karnataka High Court claiming that he had been used as part of a larger conspiracy to malign Dharmasthala. He sought directions to the SIT to complete its probe and take action against those allegedly involved.
In his writ petition, Chinnayya named activist Mahesh Shetty Timarodi, Girish Mattannavar, Vitthal Gowda, Jayant, and YouTubers Sameer M.D., Ajay, and Dinesh, among others, alleging that they orchestrated a campaign against Dharmasthala. The petition also mentions multilingual actor Prakash Raj.
In an explosive allegation, Chinnayya claimed that after filing a complaint with the police regarding the discovery of a skull, he was taken to a resort in Kerala. There, he alleged, he was handed a phone for a call with actor Prakash Raj.
The petition further states that Mahesh Shetty Timarodi and Girish Mattannavar allegedly instructed him to identify locations in Banglegudda for excavation so that government funds would be spent on the exercise. Chinnayya claimed that he was told the overall plan involved a budget of Rs 200 crore and that he would receive Rs 50 lakh if he cooperated in efforts to have Veerendra Heggade imprisoned.
According to the petition, Prakash Raj spoke to him in Tamil and allegedly instructed him to make statements as directed by Girish Mattannavar.
Chinnayya further claimed that he was told the actor would meet him in the near future. He also alleged that after the Karnataka government constituted an SIT, those involved celebrated, saying that the time had come to send Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade to jail.
He alleged that Timarodi, Mattannavar, Vitthal Gowda, Jayant, and the YouTubers directed him to point out specific locations to the SIT and threatened to kill his wife if he failed to comply. However, he stated that no human remains were found at those sites.
According to the petition, Vitthal Gowda introduced Chinnayya to Mahesh Shetty Timarodi. Chinnayya alleged that he was instructed to claim that numerous bodies had been buried in Dharmasthala and that thousands of corpses were hidden there.
Chinnayya further stated that Girish Mattannavar, Vitthal Gowda, Ganesh, and others took him to several places, including locations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and periodically paid him amounts ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000.
He alleged that he was later taken to Jayant's residence in Bengaluru, where he was handed a human skull, asked to hold it, and photographed. He claimed that he was subsequently taken to a lawyer's office and made to sign documents.
Chinnayya further stated that Girish Mattannavar and advocate Sujatha Bhat took him to the Supreme Court in New Delhi.
According to the petition, he was later taken to Ujire and kept at the residence of Mahesh Shetty Timarodi. He alleged that he was compelled to perform domestic and agricultural work for Timarodi and Mattannavar, including working on their farmland.
Chinnayya claimed that he was threatened with death and burial if he failed to make statements in court as instructed by the lawyers.
The petitioner also alleged that videos were recorded for the YouTube channels run by Sameer M.D. and Ajay, where he was made to repeat statements dictated to him.
He claimed that he was promised a cheque of Rs 5 lakh for the construction of a house.
Claiming that he became fearful after learning of what he described as a conspiracy against Dharmasthala, Chinnayya said he eventually decided to reveal the truth and gave a statement before the SIT detailing the alleged plot.
The petitioner contended that despite his statement to the SIT, no action had been taken against those he accused of orchestrating the conspiracy. He has therefore sought directions from the High Court to the state government and the SIT to take appropriate action.