The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested an anonymous man, who had earlier created a sensation by claiming that several bodies were buried in Dharmasthala, after investigations revealed that his allegations were false.Police said the man, who had misled the probe team by pointing out as many as 17 locations where pits were dug, was arrested soon after the Witness Protection Act, under which he had been provided security, was withdrawn.His misleading information led to extensive digging operations, but no evidence was recovered, raising doubts about the veracity of his claims.

The accused has now been identified as C.N. Chinnayya alias Chenna. For months, he had been appearing before the SIT with his face covered, earning the moniker 'Mask Man'. His photograph, which he had himself taken in Dharmasthala, has since been made public.Police said Chinnayya had earlier posed as a witness in the Dharmasthala case and was given protection under the Witness Protection Act. However, he was neither arrested nor taken into custody at that time. Once the Act was revoked, police proceeded to detain him and formally establish his identity.

The arrest has put an end to weeks of speculation around the masked man whose claims of mass burials in Dharmasthala had triggered widespread public concern and led to large-scale searches.Police are likely to question him further on the motive behind filing the false complaint and misleading the investigation team. (UNI)