Dharmasthala mass burials case: Accused Chinnayya files complaint against Thimarody, four others
Belthangady: The primary accused in the Dharmasthala mass burials case Chinnayya, who is out on bail, has filed a complaint with Dharmasthala Police against five people, including Sowjanya Movement activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarody and YouTuber Sameer MD.
Chinnayya was released on bail from the Shivamogga Jail on Thursday, December 18 and reportedly filed the complaint with Dharmasthala Police the same night. He is learned to have been accompanied by his wife Mallika and sister Ratna on the occasion.
He has alleged in his complaint that there are possibilities of Sowjanya Movement activists Thimarody, Girish Mattannavar, Jayant T, Sameer and Sowjanya’s uncle Vithal Gowda threatening him, his wife and sister. Additionally, he has urged the officers to take legal action in the matter and requested for police security.
Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Dr. Arun K has said that Belthangady Police have registered the complaint and further action in the matter will be taken.
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News theft is happening in the country, says senior journalist Siddharth Varadarajan
Kalaburagi: Senior journalist and founding editor of The Wire, Siddharth Varadarajan, has said that while there is widespread debate over electoral malpractice, a far more serious phenomenon has already taken place in India, the theft of news.
Speaking at the launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi, Varadarajan remarked that since 2014, news has been systematically taken away from the people. “Whether vote theft is happening or not is still debated. But before that, news theft has undoubtedly taken place in this country,” he said.
He observed that information relevant to people’s lives and problems is increasingly being kept away from the public. According to him, it has become difficult to carry people’s concerns to political leaders because mainstream media has distanced itself from its core responsibility. “Mainstream media has largely vanished from the battlefield of news,” he stated.
Varadarajan said that during moments when large media houses were expected to stand with the public and deliver crucial information, they instead chose to remain silent or absent. This vacuum, he noted, has made the emergence of alternative and independent media platforms necessary.
“These platforms may be small in scale, but they play a vital role,” he said, describing Vartha Bharati as one such independent media outlet. He accused large media organisations of contributing to the erosion of people’s lives, culture, and democratic values in the country, while asserting that small, independent journalism continues to offer strong resistance.
Recalling that Vartha Bharati began its journey in Mangaluru and has now expanded to the Kalyana Karnataka region, Varadarajan said independent media outlets are no longer isolated. “We are not alone anymore. Vartha Bharati stands with us,” he said.
The event also marked the release of Vartha Bharati's 23rd annual special issue and a compilation of selected editorials, along with a special Kalyana Karnataka supplement.
