Dharmasthala case: ‘Mask Man’ Chinnaiah alleges life threats from activists, seeks police protection
Mangaluru (Karnataka), Dec 20 : Chinnaiah, known as the “mask man” and the complainant in a sensational alleged mass murder case, has filed a police complaint claiming that he is facing threats to his life and has sought police protection, officials said on Saturday.
Chinnaiah was earlier arrested for allegedly misleading the police in the mass murder case and was released on bail recently. He has filed a complaint against five persons -- activists Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, Girish Mattennanavar, Vittal Gowda, Jayanth, and YouTuber M.D. Sameer.
In his complaint, Chinnaiah has sought protection for himself and his wife. The complaint was filed at the Belthangady police station in Mangaluru district.
More details are awaited regarding the development.
It can be recalled that the SIT arrested Chinnaiah -- referred to as the mask man -- in connection with the alleged Dharmasthala murders case on August 23.
He was arrested for providing false information regarding the case. Special Investigation Team (SIT) sleuths, who interrogated him for a long period of time, concluded that he had been misleading the authorities.
In a major development on July 11, Chinnaiah -- then known as an unidentified complainant -- appeared before a court in Mangaluru district and recorded his statement. He claimed that he had been forced to bury the bodies of women and girls who were raped and murdered in Dharmasthala.
He requested that the bodies be exhumed in his presence and alleged that the victims bore clear signs of sexual assault. According to him, the bodies were found without clothing or undergarments and had injuries consistent with violent sexual abuse.
These revelations sent shockwaves across Karnataka.
Following his claims, a retired Supreme Court judge and several activists demanded a Supreme Court or High Court - monitored SIT probe into the alleged Dharmasthala murders.
In addition, Chinnaiah, then known as the whistleblower, reportedly submitted a skull -- allegedly recovered from one of the burial sites -- to the SIT.
He was protected under the Witness Protection Act and given the necessary facilities. However, police sources have now confirmed that the protection granted to him under the Act has been revoked.