SIT will reply to court on new Dharmasthala claims: Minister

KArnataka place government minister Priyank Kharge said on fri that investigators probing allegations linked to the Dharmasthala caseful would respond before the mysore High Court, after a writ petition by the key accused,CN Chinnaiah, introduced allegations of a conspiracy involving funds aimed at discrediting the temple town.Kharge declined to comment on the substance of the allegations, saying the matter was now before the court and that the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) response would be submitted through judicial proceedings rather than debated publicly.“It is a court monitored probe. The court has asked the SIT certain questions, and the SIT chief will reply to them. It cannot be discussed publicly. Once the reply is given to the court, it will be known,” he told reporters in Bengaluru.The minister was responding to questions about a writ petition filed by Chinnaiah before the Karnataka High Court. Chinnaiah, whose earlier allegations led to the formation of the SIT, has now claimed that he was drawn into a larger effort to malign Dharmasthala and has sought directions for investigators to complete their probe and proceed against those allegedly involved.Media reports have also cited claims in the petition that large amounts of money were used to support the purported conspiracy. Kharge said those assertions remained unverified.“There are media reports that a submission has been made in court. ₹200 crore is being alleged, which is not a small amount. How much of it is true is not known,” he said.“He is the same person who had claimed about multiple murders, rapes and burials. It needs to be verified whether he is telling the truth.”According to details emerging from the petition, Chinnaiah allegedly named activist Mahesh Shetty Timarodi, Girish Mattannavar, Vitthal Gowda and Jayant, among others, accusing them of coordinating a campaign against Dharmasthala.Justice Suraj Govindaraj has issued notices to the state government and the SIT and directed investigators to submit a status report by June 29.The petition also reportedly refers to actor Prakash Raj and includes allegations regarding a telephone conversation. Asked about the actor’s name appearing in the filing, Kharge said the mere mention of an individual in court documents should not be treated as evidence of wrongdoing.“Just because a name is mentioned, one cannot be considered a criminal. The court has sought a reply from the SIT chief. Let him reply. Before that, these matters cannot be discussed in the media,” he said.Prakash Raj later said he would address the issue publicly within the next few days.“It has come to my attention that some news and discussions about me are being circulated in the media and on social media regarding the Dharmasthala case. Since this is an extremely sensitive matter that has affected the faith of millions of devotees, it is my duty to respond to these doubts and questions,” he said in a post on X.“I am currently away. In the next couple of days, I will personally return and address the media. Until then, please do not believe rumours or the exaggerated and fabricated stories that some malicious individuals are trying to attach to this news.”The developments triggered fresh demands from the BJP for greater transparency in the investigation. Senior BJP leader Sunil Kumar called on the government to release the SIT’s findings and disclose who was behind the allegations that led to the inquiry. State BJP president BY Vijayendra alleged that a conspiracy had been mounted to damage the reputation of Dharmasthala and sought an investigation into the alleged flow of funds mentioned in recent claims.“It is now being revealed that hundreds of crores are involved in this,” Vijayendra said. “Who was behind this? Who invested? Why did the then CM turn a blind eye and give it to the SIT? The people of the country and Hindus want the truth to come out in all this.”The controversy dates back to allegations made by Chinnaiah last year that he had buried multiple bodies over a period of two decades in Dharmasthala, including the remains of women who he claimed had been subjected to sexual assault. Those allegations led the state government to constitute a Special Investigation Team. Investigators later excavated several locations identified by Chinnaiah near the Netravathi River and recovered skeletal remains at two sites.