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The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Dharmasthala case on Wednesday, July 15, submitted a 7,005-page final report before the court of the Additional Civil Judge and JMFC in Belthangady town in Dakshina Kannada district.
The report, filed by Superintendent of Police CA Simon, comprises 12 volumes and includes additional documents gathered during the investigation. According to reports, the report contains statements from around 255 witnesses, forensic science laboratory (FSL) reports, a 4TB hard disc containing video-recorded witness statements, and forensic evidence, including skeletal remains and bones recovered during the probe.
The court has posted the matter to August 29.
The latest submission supplements a 3,923-page report that the SIT filed before the court in November last year under Section 215(2)(b) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). In that report, the SIT named six persons — CN Chinnayya, Sujatha Bhat, Vittal Gowda, Jayanth T, Girish Mattannavar and Mahesh Shetty Thimarody.
The SIT had also initiated perjury proceedings against Chinnayya, stating that a person making a statement under oath before a court cannot give false testimony.
The Karnataka government transferred the investigation into the alleged mass burial case to the SIT through an order issued on July 19, 2025. Headed by Director General of Police of the Internal Security Division Pronab Mohanty, the SIT took over the investigation into Case No. 39/2025 registered at Dharmasthala Police Station under Section 211(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The case stems from allegations made by Chinnayya, who initially claimed that he had buried hundreds of bodies in Dharmasthala, mostly of women and girls who had allegedly been sexually assaulted and buried illegally.
Chinnayya filed a complaint at Dharmasthala Police Station on July 3, 2025, following which an FIR was registered on July 4. He recorded his statement before the JMFC court in Belthangady on July 11, 2025.
Based on his claims, the SIT carried out excavations at multiple locations identified by him. However, after the exhumation exercise concluded, Chinnayya changed his version and submitted a fresh statement before both the police and the magistrate.
In his revised statement, he claimed to have buried only ten bodies in Dharmasthala, including that of a woman who had suffered burn injuries.
Following the change in his statements, the SIT arrested Chinnayya on August 23, 2025.