This is a breaking news story about a significant development in the Dharmasthala controversy. A woman who had previously claimed her daughter went missing in 2003, fueling allegations of mass burials, sexual assault, and disappearances of women in the area, has now admitted that her account was fabricated. The woman, Sujatha Bhat, revealed in an interview that prominent activists Girish Mattannavar and T Jayanti had persuaded her to fabricate the story about her daughter, Ananya Bhat.
Sujatha confessed that there was no daughter named Ananya, and the photograph circulated as evidence was also fake. She explained that her involvement in the fabricated story was tied to a dispute over her grandfather’s property, which allegedly was taken by the Dharmasthala temple authorities. Despite earlier claims of financial demands, Sujatha clarified that money was not involved, but expressed her grievance about the property issue.
Her statement is a stark reversal from what she had earlier told police and investigators, where she had reported that her daughter vanished during a trip to Dharmasthala and she herself was abducted and assaulted. Sujatha, acknowledging the public anger her earlier account had stirred, expressed regret and sought forgiveness from the people of Karnataka and the devotees of Dharmasthala.
This marks a significant twist in an ongoing investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the allegations surrounding mass burials in Dharmasthala. The SIT has issued a notice for Sujatha to appear before them for further questioning.
