Dharmasthala case: 2 decades later, Bengaluru woman releases photo of daughter allegedly missing after 2003 trip to village

Bengaluru-based Sujatha Bhatt, who claimed that her daughter had gone missing after a trip to Dharmasthala decades ago, has released a photograph of the latter for the first time.

Sujatha received flak for claiming that her daughter Ananya (a first-year MBBS student) had gone missing after a college trip to Dharmasthala in 2003 (22 years ago), because her claims coincided with the sanitation worker's allegations coming to light.

ALSO READ | Dharmasthala case: Karnataka Congress echoes BJP's voice as SIT probe hits a dead end

In a video by The Federal on Saturday, Sujatha can be seen discussing the issue with her lawyer, during which she displays a photo of Ananya close to the camera—the first time in the 22 years since the young woman's alleged disappearance.

Sujatha had also alleged that when she filed a complaint at the Belthangady police station, she was sent away without registering one.

She later even claimed that she had been abducted and tortured, which put her in a coma for some time.

ALSO READ | Dharmasthala case: Another body buried? New eyewitness claims burial near Boliyar forest area

Out of 17 spots pointed out by a sanitation worker—who claimed to have buried multiple bodies in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014—only one spot offered up partial skeletal remains.

This has also sparked speculations of the alleged buried remains being washed away.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which tried to corner the government over what it claims hurts "religious sentiments of the Hindus", has planned a protest in the pilgrim town.

ALSO READ | ED reveals Dharmasthala temple was the true target of 2022 Mangaluru cooker bomb blast

All eyes are now on Home Minister G. Parameshwara, who has promised to make a detailed statement on the Dharmasthala issue in the State Assembly on Monday, after BJP pressed for clarity on the excavation.

He also added that if the complainant’s claims were proven false, action would be initiated against him. 

India