Missing for 22 Years: Mother of Ananya Bhat files complaint amid Dharmasthala burial allegations

Mangaluru

In a startling turn in a 22-year-old missing case, Sujatha Bhat—the mother of Ananya Bhat, a medical student who vanished in 2003—met the Superintendent of Police (SP), Dakshina Kannada, on Monday evening to file a formal complaint, seeking justice for her daughter.

Ananya, then a student, had gone missing after visiting the Dharmasthala temple. Despite the passage of two decades, there had been no significant breakthrough until a recent claim reignited the case.

The revival comes in the wake of a letter received by the SP from an unidentified man who alleged that hundreds of bodies had been buried under duress in and around Dharmasthala. The man later appeared before the Beltangady court, reportedly carrying a human skeleton. Police have sent the remains for forensic testing.

In his statement before the magistrate, the man confessed to burying multiple bodies at various sites across Dharmasthala and said he was willing to help locate the burial grounds if a formal investigation was launched.

Following his appearance, his legal representatives demanded the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged mass burials. The shocking claims have triggered concern at both state and national levels.

Sujatha Bhat, now represented by legal counsel, cited her daughter’s disappearance from the same area as grounds for fresh investigation. In her complaint, she urged authorities to thoroughly probe the incident and bring long-awaited justice for Ananya and potentially other victims.