The Dharmasthala skull case has taken a fresh twist after Chinnayya, popularly known as the “mask man”, approached the Karnataka High Court with a startling claim that he was allegedly used as part of a larger conspiracy to target Dharmasthala, a prominent Hindu pilgrimage centre in Karnataka.
Chinnayya, who had earlier made allegations in the mass grave case, has now alleged that certain activists and others manipulated him to build a campaign against Dharmasthala. He has sought an inquiry into the matter and action against those he accused.
In his writ petition filed before the Karnataka High Court, Chinnayya claimed that he was told that Rs 200 crore had been arranged as part of an alleged plan to send Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade to jail.
Prakash Raj reference adds new twist to case
The petition also mentions actor Prakash Raj and alleges that activists had promised Chinnayya Rs 50 lakh if the plan succeeded.
The Karnataka High Court bench headed by Justice Suraj Govindaraj has issued notices to the Home Department, Superintendent of Police of Mangaluru, Special Investigation Team (SIT), and Station House Officer of Dharmasthala Police Station.
The court has directed authorities to submit a status report on the investigation by June 29.
According to the petition, Chinnayya alleged that after he approached police with a complaint regarding the skull, he was taken to a resort in Kerala.
He claimed that there he was made to talk to actor Prakash Raj on a call. According to the petition, Prakash Raj spoke to him in Tamil and allegedly told him to make statements as instructed by Girish Mattannavar.
The petition further alleges that Chinnayya was asked to identify locations at Banglegudda for excavation and was told that government funds would be used for the exercise.
Alleged threats and recordings mentioned
Chinnayya claimed that activist Mahesh Shetty Timarodi, Girish Mattannavar, Vitthal Gowda, Jayant, and YouTubers Sameer M.D., Ajay and Dinesh, among others, allegedly directed him to point out locations to the SIT.
He further alleged that he was threatened if he refused to cooperate and claimed that he was warned about harm to his wife.
The petition states that no human remains were found at the locations he identified.
Chinnayya also alleged that videos were recorded through YouTube channels where he was made to repeat statements given to him.
Prakash Raj responds
Actor Prakash Raj reacted to the claims after reports linking his name to the Dharmasthala case emerged. In a post on social media, he said he was aware of the discussions around the matter and noted that the issue was sensitive as it had affected the faith of many devotees. He said, “Greetings to all.. In the media… On social networks, some news regarding me about the Dharmasthala case has come to my attention being discussed. Since this is an extremely sensitive matter and one that has hurt the faith of millions of devotees, it is also my duty to respond to such doubts.”
Prakash Raj said he was away and would personally address the media after two days. He also urged people not to believe misleading claims being circulated around the issue.
ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗು ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ.. ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳಲ್ಲಿ… ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಜಲತಾಣಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಧರ್ಮಸ್ತಳ ಪ್ರಕರಣದ ಕುರಿತಂತೆ ನನ್ನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕೆಲವು ಸುದ್ದಿ ಚರ್ಚಿಸಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತಿರುವು ನನ್ನ ಗಮನಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದಿದೆ. ಇದು ಅತಿ ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮವಾದ .. ಮತ್ತು ಕೋಟ್ಯಾಂತರ ಭಕ್ತರ ನಂಬಿಕೆಗೆ ಧಕ್ಕೆ ತಂದಿರುವ ಪ್ರಕರಣವಾಗಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ..ಈ ರೀತಿಯ ಅನುಮಾನಗಳಿಗೆ ಉತ್ತರಿಸಬೇಕಾಗಿರುವುದು ನನ್ನ…
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) June 12, 2026
High Court seeks investigation update
The petition alleges that Chinnayya was later taken to different locations, made to sign documents and pressured to maintain certain statements during legal proceedings.
He claimed that he eventually decided to reveal the truth and gave a statement before the SIT regarding the alleged conspiracy.
The petitioner has told the court that despite his statement, action has not been taken against those he accused.
The Karnataka High Court will now examine the matter after receiving the status report from the authorities.