Dharmasthala Case: Sujatha Bhat Reveals Why She ‘Faked’ Daughter’s Disappearance

Dharmasthala Case: In a stunning turn of events in the Dharmasthala case, Sujatha Bhat, the woman whose allegations of a missing daughter led to a high-profile SIT probe into mass graves, sexual assault and disappearances, has now retracted her claims and admitted they were false.

Speaking to Republic Kannada, Sujatha said the story about her daughter Ananya Bhat, a medical student who she alleged went missing in 2003 during a visit to Dharmasthala, was not true. She now claims Ananya was not her daughter at all but the child of her friends Aravind and Vimala from Suratkal near Mangaluru.

“I made up the story of Ananya Bhat for the sake of the property taken away from the family… I know it would go this far. My intentions were different. Please spare me,” Sujatha said in the interview.

Also Read: Vidya Balan Reminisces ‘Parineeta’ Shoot Memories | Throwback Moments

According to reports, Sujatha was influenced by a few people due to a property dispute with Dharmasthala temple authorities, which she says motivated her to falsely implicate the temple in a fabricated disappearance case.

She said she had helped raise Ananya as a child while frequently visiting Aravind and Vimala's house.

According to Sujatha, the family had once gone together to Dharmasthala and Kukke Subrahmanya where Ananya allegedly disappeared. She said she saw men dragging the girl behind Bahubali betta and later saw her body, a claim now being questioned by investigators.

In a new twist, Sujatha said Aravind and Vimala had died by suicide and their Suratkal house had burned down. She produced a letter allegedly from the couple asking her to reveal the truth about Ananya's disappearance.

Also Read: WBJEE Counselling 2025: Registration Begins August 28, Full Schedule at wbjeeb.nic.in

But SIT officials have raised doubts over Sujatha's identity, saying her surname is not Bhat and she has no daughter. They also said the photograph she showed the media of her daughter was not genuine.

What did Sijatha Bhat say earlier?

Earlier, Sujatha’s complaint had triggered a huge public outcry and the Karnataka government had formed an SIT to investigate multiple murders, sexual assaults and illegal burials in Dharmasthala.

The case took a new turn when another complainant C.N. Chinnaiah who alleged mass burials and claimed to have buried victims, was arrested by the SIT for inconsistencies in his statement.

Whistle-blower arrested

On Saturday, the SIT arrested whistle-blower C N Chinnaiah, a former sanitation worker who alleged he had buried multiple bodies during his time in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014. He also alleged some victims were sexually assaulted. But his statements had inconsistencies and he was arrested and further investigated.

Also Read: One Million Stray Dogs in Delhi Regain Right to Roam After Supreme Court Verdict