The Dharmasthala "mass burial" case has taken an unexpected turn, with the arrest of the complainant who had claimed to be a whistleblower in an alleged case of mass rapes and murders in a Karnataka village.

The complainant, CN Chinnayya alias Chenna, has been arrested for lying under oath, officials said, pointing out that his claims were found to be false and fabricated.

Chenna has been named for the first time in the series of developments related to Dharmasthala; he was earlier referred to as the 'masked man' as he had kept his identity hidden while seeking protection as a witness in the alleged crimes.

During the inquiry, he had recorded his statement with the magistrate, but the Special Investigation Team (SIT) wasn't convinced. During cross-questioning based on their findings, the SIT found he had been lying.

They took off his witness protection and arrested him for perjury.

Visuals this morning showed Chenna being taken for a medical checkup before being produced in the court.

In another shocking U-turn related to the case, a woman has backtracked on her claim that her daughter had gone missing in Dharmasthala.

Source:Ndtv