Dharmasthala case: Temple seeks court permission to participate in case

The Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala temple, on Wednesday, filed application before the Belthangady court seeking permission to participate in the case.

The application was filed under Section 2 (Y) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Samhita by the temple in its capacity as “victim” in the case related to alleged mass burial of bodies in Dharmasthala village. The application was filed by temple’s spokesperson K. Parshwanath Jain. Advocate Mahesh Kaje submitted the application before Additional Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate First Class T.H. Vijayendra.

In the submission before the court, senior counsel C.V. Nagesh said complainant Chinnaiah, who is arrested for perjury, had filed public interest litigation before the Supreme Court seeking SIT to probe mass burial of bodies in the village. In this PIL petition, the temple was named as respondent No. 6. The apex court rejected Chinnaiah’s petition by referring to it as “Paisa Vasool Litigation”. Chinnaiah then filed compliant with the Dharmasthala Police on July 3.

Mr. Nagesh said the temple was the victim in the case and it has every right to participate in the proceedings. He presented to the Belthangady court related judgments of the High Court and Supreme Court. The court posted the matter to January 3 for further hearing on the application.

The SIT has filed 3,900-page report accusing Chinnaiah, activists Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, Girish Mattennavar, T. Jayanth and Vittal Gowda, and Sujatha Bhat of perjury and other criminal offences. The court has posted to January 3 for taking cognisance of the report.