Dharmasthala Defamation: SIT Points To Conspiracy Behind Fake Skull Evidence

As the controversy around Karnataka’s Dharmasthala temple town has begun to unravel, investigators now suggest that the entire episode may have been a staged conspiracy.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has concluded that the skull dramatically presented in court by complainant CN Chinnayya was not evidence of a hidden graveyard but a preserved specimen taken from a research laboratory according to a Hindustan Times report.

“Forensic experts confirmed the skull was not genuine evidence of a mass grave,” a senior SIT officer said. “It was obtained from a research facility, preserved with varnish, and had nothing to do with the claims made in court.”

Chinnayya’s testimony in July that hundreds of bodies were buried secretly in Dharmasthala triggered widespread outrage and searches across 17 sites.

But the SIT’s probe has instead led to Chinnayya’s arrest and the identification of several associates accused of sheltering him or helping procure the specimen. Officials said his statements were recorded on video and notices will soon be issued to those named.

Investigators are also searching for his missing mobile phone, believed to hold crucial data on how the alleged conspiracy was planned. Chinnayya, described as “visibly shaken” during medical examination, reportedly asked to be moved to jail, claiming threats from those who supplied the skull.

The case has since expanded, with police issuing notices to Mahesh Shetty Timrodi for obstruction and summoning others, including Sujaata Bhat, who had earlier claimed her daughter went missing in Dharmasthala before retracting the story.

Union minister Pralhad Joshi accused the government of enabling “an attack on the religious sentiments of crores of Hindus,” alleging “anti-Dharmasthala forces” were attempting to defame the shrine.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara, however, maintained, “Police will do whatever is required for the investigation.”

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