Overview

• Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil moved a criminal defamation complaint in Bengaluru, saying allegations linking him to the Dharmasthala case are baseless and politically motivated.
• Judge K. N. Shivakumar has taken cognisance of the case, and a notice will be issued to BJP MLA G. Janardhan Reddy to appear for a September 11 hearing.
• Reddy said he is prepared to face the suit and urged probes into Senthil’s supposed role, calling for SIT scrutiny as well as CBI or NIA investigation and even checks for foreign involvement.
• The dispute stems from claims by complainant C. N. Chinnaiah about secret burials in Dharmasthala, which led a state SIT to conduct excavations at multiple sites.
• Chinnaiah, identified as the original masked complainant, has since been arrested on perjury-related charges, and political rivals continue to trade accusations over the case.