Belthangady court defers action on SIT plea, seeks final report in Dharmasthala case

Dakshina Kannada: The JMFC court in Belthangady has declined to grant permission at this stage for initiating action against the accused, based on a report submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with a case linked to Dharmasthala village.

The court made it clear that any decision on the SIT’s request would be taken only after the submission of the final report in the case. The case pertains to serious allegations that bodies of victims of past criminal acts were buried in Dharmasthala village.

The SIT had earlier submitted an extensive report before the Belthangady JMFC court seeking directions to proceed against the accused for allegedly misleading the investigation and the court.

As per procedure, the SIT was required to file its report within 90 days of the arrest of the accused. While the prime accused, Chinna C.N., was in judicial custody, the SIT submitted a detailed 3,900-page report on November 20 under Section 215 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

In the report, the SIT elaborated on how, according to its findings, false evidence was allegedly created and presented, resulting in an attempt to mislead the judicial process.

The SIT sought permission to initiate further investigation under Section 379 of the BNSS against Chinna C.N., Mahesh Shetty Timarodi, Girish Mattennavar, Jayanth T., Vithal Gowda and Sujatha Bhatt, alleging that they had deliberately misled the court.

The report also stated that Mahesh Shetty Timarodi, Girish Mattennavar, Jayanth T., Vithal Gowda and Sujatha Bhatt had not cooperated with the investigation.

After perusing the SIT report, the JMFC court observed that it would not pass any order at this juncture based solely on the present submission.

Additional Civil Judge and JMFC T.H. Vijayendra directed the SIT to first file the final report in the case, after which the court would consider issuing appropriate orders.

Meanwhile, Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Manjunatha Temple has sought to be recognised as a “victim” in the case. On December 31, 2025, temple spokesperson Parshwanath Jain filed an application requesting the court to allow the temple to be represented during the proceedings and to present arguments on its behalf during the hearing.

Government prosecutor Divyaraj Hegde sought time to file objections to the temple’s application. Accepting the request, the court adjourned the hearing on this matter to January 23.

The case continues to draw attention due to its sensitive nature and the serious allegations involved, with the court emphasising due process and the need for a comprehensive final report before taking further action.

Also Read: Kundapur: KSRTC bus and Tipper Collision CCTV video viral