Dharmasthala burials: Complainant witness produced before Belthangady court to record his statements

Mangaluru: The complainant witness was produced before Belthangady JMFC Court on Tuesday.

According to SIT sources, he was brought from Shivamogga jail to Belthangady JMFC Court to record his statement under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). "The statement recording process has commenced and not completed. He will be produced to the court once again on September 25."

It is said that he was inside the court for nearly five hours. Further, his face was not covered when he was brought to the court and taken out from the court.

The complainant witness, who had lodged the case with the Dharmasthala police, had earlier handed over a skull, claiming it to be the remains of a body he had buried and later exhumed. However, when the Special Investigation Team (SIT) questioned him further and asked him to identify the exact spot where the skull had been dug out, he reportedly hesitated and later retracted, by stating that he had not exhumed it himself. Following which, the SIT arrested him and produced him before court on August 23, after which the Belthangady JMFC Court remanded him in judicial custody.

The complainant witness was produced before the Belthangady JMFC Court on September 18. However, his statement could not be recorded on that day.

The SIT has questioning several close associates of Mahesh Shetty Thimarody on Tuesday. According to officials, at least 11 individuals had deposited money into the account of the complainant witness, and all of them are under scrutiny. “We are in the process of recording their statements. It should take another two to three days to complete the exercise. The delay has occurred mainly because many people are tied up with ongoing festivities and are unable to appear immediately,” SIT sources explained.