The sensational Dharmasthala mass burial case, which came to light in July 2025, saw a new twist after the name of actor Prakash Raj surfaced on Thursday (June 11) in a writ petition filed before the Karnataka High Court by Chinnaiah, a former sanitation worker at the site who later became the prime accused in the episode related to unnatural deaths. Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge said the veracity of the claims needed to be ascertained.
Also read: How Dharmasthala, Karnataka’s temple town, struggles to shake off its shame
Raj spoke on the matter in a social media post on Friday (June 12), saying he would personally respond through media friends in a couple of days, and urged the public not to “believe the hot air”. He also said “some scoundrels” were trying to attach wings and feathers to the news.
Karnataka home minister speaks
Kharge said the allegations made by Chinnaiah need to be examined for truth. “We do not know how much of what he is saying is true or false. Since the matter is currently before the court, the investigation will proceed strictly through legal channels,” he remarked.
On Raj’s name coming up, the minister said, “The person making these allegations (Chinnaiah) has been giving different statements at different times — earlier and now. Therefore, our priority is to thoroughly examine how much truth exists in his past and present statements. Just because someone’s name appears in a petition does not make them a criminal in the eyes of the law.”
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“Based on information circulating in the media and submitted to the court, allegations of a conspiracy involving approximately Rs 200 crore have emerged. This is not a small amount. However, how much truth or falsehood lies in this allegation is not yet precisely known,” the minister added.
Court raised questions before SIT: Kharge
Kharge, while giving an update on the case that caused quite a stir nationally, said the court has raised several key questions for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that probed the incident. He said the SIT chief will respond to the court’s questions directly. “Since this is a highly sensitive legal process, we cannot discuss it publicly,” he said. The minister said further updates on the case will be shared publicly only after official responses are submitted to the court.
Kharge also appealed to the media and the public to refrain from speculations, given the case’s sensitivity.
About Dharmasthala case
The Dharmasthala incident gained prominence in 2025 when Chinnaiah claimed he had been compelled to bury several bodies in and around the temple town over nearly two decades. His allegations prompted a significant investigation by the SIT, which commenced excavations at various sites he specified. It is still underway.
Also read: Dharmasthala mass burial case takes a twist as SIT changes its strategy I Ground Report
The case attracted national attention due to the unsettling narratives associated with the purported burials, including reports of unidentified victims, missing persons, and skeletons uncovered during the digging process. As investigators persist in their analysis of the evidence, numerous questions regarding the events in Dharmasthala remain unresolved.
(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka.)
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