Sasikanth Senthil, a Congress MP from Tamil Nadu who was a Karnataka-cadre IAS officer earlier than becoming a member of politics, sued BJP MLA G Janardhana Reddy on Saturday for prison defamation after he accused the MP of being the “mastermind” behind the Dharmasthala secret burials case.
Senthil filed the defamation go well with earlier than a Bengaluru particular courtroom for elected representatives, and choose Okay N Shivakumar will now hear the matter on September 11.
Over the previous weeks, a lie was stitched round my title— baseless, political, and meant to stain my public life. I received’t let that cross. Immediately, I’ve filed a prison defamation case in opposition to BJP MLA Gali Janardhan Reddy for intentionally spreading false allegations linking me to…
— Sasikanth Senthil (@s_kanth) September 6, 2025
Additionally on Saturday, Janardhana Reddy urged the Authorities to advocate an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Nationwide Investigation Company (NIA) into Senthil’s position within the alleged makes an attempt to malign the temple city’s picture over the claims of secret burials made by a former sanitation employee.
“The masked man hails from Tamil Nadu. Senthil, who can be from Tamil Nadu, is related to leftists. He resigned from his place to get a Congress ticket and win elections. He have to be subjected to investigation,” he added.
The “masked man” is a reference to the complainant within the case, C N Chinnaiah.
Janardhana Reddy, who represents Gangavathi within the Karnataka Meeting, claimed, “It was Senthil who persuaded Rahul Gandhi to direct Siddaramaiah to kind a Particular Investigation Crew. He might have recommended a CBI or NIA investigation, however why SIT? The Congress Authorities within the state is making a suspicious transfer by not questioning Senthil in reference to the mass burial case.”
Senthil was the Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner when he resigned as an IAS officer and joined the Congress. Reddy was arrested in an unlawful mining case on the primary day of Senthil’s posting as assistant commissioner to Ballari.
In his submission, Senthil’s counsel mentioned, “The complainant (Senthil) is very depressed because it has brought on nice hurt to him and dented his repute and standing in society, whereas additionally affecting his work as a Parliament member, as individuals are doubting his integrity in view of the malicious assertion made by the accused (Reddy). Thus, the complainant is very defamed by the malicious and libellous assertion made by the accused, describing him as anti-Hindu, mastermind, and instigating via sure individuals to convey disrepute to Dharmasthala.”
Senthil mentioned that he was shocked that his title had been dragged into the controversy, including that the allegations had been “baseless and politically motivated”.
Story continues beneath this advert
“The day I took cost as AC in Ballari, Janardhana Reddy was arrested in a mining rip-off. I assisted the CBI and different businesses once they had been probing the mining case. I’ve by no means seen him after that. I assume he’s searching for limelight or could have gotten directions, or if he’s making an attempt to affect Tamil Nadu politics,” he mentioned.
After the defamation go well with was filed, Reddy mentioned in Ballari that he had fought a number of such defamation fits and would battle this one too.