Dharmasthala case: Woman retracts statement, says no one paid her
What's the story
Sujatha Bhat, the woman who alleged her daughter went missing in 2003 from Dharmasthala, has now retracted her statement. She said she was coerced by activists into making the allegations, which were motivated by a property dispute with temple authorities. "Some people told me to say it. I was asked to do it because of the property issue," Bhat said. The dispute involves land belonging to her grandfather, which was allegedly taken by temple authorities without her consent.
Case reversal
What Bhat said earlier
Bhat had initially claimed her daughter Ananya disappeared during a trip to Dharmasthala in May 2003. She alleged that Ananya's friends had gone shopping while she stayed near the temples, but when they returned, Ananya was missing. Bhat also claimed she was abducted and assaulted when she tried to investigate her daughter's disappearance. However, she has now retracted these claims and asked for forgiveness for making them.
Coercion claims
No monetary exchange took place, says Bhat
Bhat has accused activists Girish Mattannavar and T Jayanti of forcing her to make these allegations. However, she denied that any monetary exchange had taken place. "Nobody demanded money from me. I have never asked anyone for money either," she said. She also clarified that her property dispute is separate from the case involving her daughter's alleged disappearance.
Ongoing probe
Case involves alleged secret burials at Dharmasthala temple
The Dharmasthala case has drawn widespread attention after a whistleblower alleged secret burials at the site. A former sanitation worker claimed he was forced to bury bodies and threatened against approaching the police. Following these allegations, an FIR was registered on July 4, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed on July 19 to investigate the matter. The SIT has exhumed skeletal remains from multiple sites as part of its investigation.