Overview

• SIT identified the masked whistleblower as C N Chinnaiah and secured 10 days’ custody after arresting him on perjury and false-information allegations tied to inconsistent statements and documents.
• Targeted digs at more than a dozen geo‑tagged sites yielded limited skeletal remains now at the Bengaluru FSL for DNA and other tests, with further steps hinging on the results.
• Investigators told the court they suspect others coached or supported the complainant, and his earlier witness protection was revoked following retractions and contradictions.
• Senior BJP leaders, including Basavaraj Bommai and V. Somanna, pressed for an NIA takeover while the state government defended the SIT and emphasized that the probe continues.
• Police scrutiny has widened to online amplification, with YouTuber MD Sameer receiving a notice after anticipatory bail and a separate complainant in a missing‑daughter claim issuing conflicting statements.