SIT asked to submit final report in Dharmasthala case at the earliest, says Home Minister Parameshwara

Home Minister G. Parameshwara said here on Tuesday that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing Dharmasthala case has been asked to submit its final report at the earliest.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Parameshwara said till the final report is submitted, the government cannot take any decision on the case.

The SIT submitted 3,900-page report under Section 215 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Surakasha Sanhita on November 20, 2025 before the Belthangady court, accusing complainant Chinnaiah, and activists Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, Girish Mattennavar, T. Jayanth and Vittal Gowda, and Sujatha Bhat, of perjury and other criminal offences.

Taking note of the fact that the SIT submitted the report when Chinnaiah was in judicial custody, and there was legal requirement to submit the report within 90 days of Chinnaiah’s arrest, the court on January 3 directed the SIT to submit final report for it to pass orders on the SIT’s report.

When asked as to how the SIT can file final report without questioning the persons named as accused, the Home Minister said it is procedural matter and he cannot say anything on it. “Until final report is submitted, the government cannot take a decision about the case,” he said.

The government sets up SITs only in cases, which matter the most to the society and is of interest to the State. The Dharmastala case is one such case that attracted interest from across the country, which made the government to set up the SIT. In such cases no time frame for completing the investigation can be fixed, Mr. Parameshwara said.