Mangaluru: Days after walking free from jail, C.N. Chinnaiah, central figure in the debunked Dharmasthala mass burials allegations, has lodged a complaint fearing deadly reprisals from activists he once aligned with.

Accompanied by family, Chinnaiah visited Dharmasthala police on December 18 evening, naming Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, Girish Mattennavar, T. Jayanth, Vittala Gowda, and YouTuber Samir M.D. as potential threats. He demanded security, citing risks from Soujanya case supporters upset over his SIT confession of coerced false claims.

Police confirmed registration and promised action. This reverses roles in the saga, where Chinnaiah was arrested for perjury after retracting sensational burial accusations.

The case gripped national attention with implications for the iconic Jain temple's reputation. SIT's November chargesheet indicted Chinnaiah alongside the activists for fabricating evidence, including a planted skull.

Triggered by Chinnaiah's July 2025 claims of secret burials of assault victims, the probe found no evidence of mass crimes. Remains recovered were unrelated; Chinnaiah admitted pressure from activists campaigning for justice in the 13-year-old unsolved Soujanya rape-murder near Dharmasthala. The conspiracy angle highlights misuse of sensitive issues to target institutions.