India, June 14 -- In a major twist in the ongoing Dharmasthala mass burial investigation, Chinnayya-popularly known as the "Mask Man"-has filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court, claiming he was a pawn in a conspiracy to malign the temple and its hereditary administrator, Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade.

Chinnayya, who previously alleged the existence of a mass grave at the pilgrimage centre, now asserts that he was coerced into orchestrating a false narrative. According to his petition, he was promised Rs 50 lakh to help frame Heggade, with a broader alleged conspiracy budget of Rs 200 crore aimed at securing the administrator's imprisonment. Following this, action is likely to be taken against the activists who spearheaded th...