The mysterious case of the missing Ananya Bhat from Dharmasthala has taken a dramatic twist, raising more questions than answers. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case has now turned its focus on Ananya’s mother, Sujata Bhat, and her past connections to Rippanpet in Shivamogga district.
According to SIT officials, the fresh angle emerged after Sujata filed repeated complaints claiming her daughter was missing and that the Dharmasthala police had failed to investigate properly. However, startling revelations during the probe have now cast doubts on whether Ananya Bhat ever existed at all.
The controversy began when Sujata Bhat lodged a missing persons case complaint in Dharmasthala, alleging that her daughter Ananya had gone missing while pursuing medical studies. She accused the local police of negligence and urged a thorough investigation. Around the same time, an anonymous complaint surfaced alleging the presence of hundreds of unreported burials in Dharmasthala, which forced the SIT to dig deeper into both cases.
While excavation drives led by the SIT revealed skeletal remains at a few sites, no conclusive evidence emerged to support the sweeping claims. Amid this chaos, Sujata once again highlighted her daughter’s disappearance, demanding answers.
Sujata’s life in Rippanpet
Investigations have now revealed Sujata Bhat’s long stay in Rippanpet, Hosanagar taluk, Shivamogga, where she lived from 1999 to 2007. During this period, she was in a live-in relationship with Prabhakar Baliga, a local businessman who owned a bead shop. The couple, though never legally married, were widely regarded by locals as husband and wife.
Sujata actively participated in community life. In 2004, she became a member of the Tejaswini Mahila Self-Help Group attached to the local Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society. Records show her signature in the society register, although she ceased all transactions after 2007. She had also taken loans on behalf of the group, which remained unpaid.
Interestingly, locals who knew Sujata well insist that she never had children during her stay in Rippanpet. Instead, she treated her two pet dogs as her “children,” showering them with affection and gaining a reputation for selfless care. With Prabhakar now deceased, the question arises: if Sujata had no children, then who exactly is Ananya Bhat?
Mystery of Ananya’s existence
This central question has now taken centre stage in the SIT’s probe. Despite Sujata’s insistence that her daughter went missing in Dharmasthala, her past in Shivamogga raises serious doubts. SIT officials are investigating whether Ananya Bhat is a real person or a fabricated identity created to strengthen allegations against the Dharmasthala institutions.
The investigation is also complicated by the earlier Soujanya case, where the disappearance of a medical student in Dharmasthala had sparked outrage and allegations of cover-ups. Authorities suspect that the Ananya case may be an extension of the same narrative or perhaps a distraction.
SIT intensifies probe
The SIT team, led by CPI Manjunath Gowda, has been stationed in Ripponpet to gather evidence about Sujata’s past. They are collecting testimonies from locals, reviewing property records, and verifying her claims about having a daughter. Officials confirm that some crucial documents and statements have already been secured, although they remain tight-lipped about details.
Meanwhile, the SIT has also decided to interrogate the anonymous complainant who triggered the mass-burial allegations in Dharmasthala. While a few bones were indeed unearthed, most excavation sites yielded no evidence, fueling suspicion that the complaint may have been exaggerated or misleading. Intensive questioning of the complainant is now underway.
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