Woman complainant Sujata Bhat appears before SIT for questioning in Dharmasthala case

SIT at the Dharamsthala temple premises. Image/File Pic

Amid the controversy surrounding the Dharmasthala case, Sujata Bhat, who had complained about the alleged disappearance of her daughter, appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Belthangady on Tuesday, reported PTI.

Taking Bhat's statements into consideration, the SIT have amplified its investigation over the incident. The SIT's probe into the case, involving allegations of multiple burials, murders and rapes in Dharmasthala, has drawn wide public and political attention.

Addressing the incident, SIT officers confirmed that Bhat was summoned as part of the ongoing investigation and appeared for questioning in the case.

According to the police officers involved in the Dharmasthala case, Bhat filed a complaint on July 15, 2025, at Dharmasthala Police Station, claiming that her daughter, Ananya, a medical student, went missing from the Dharmasthala temple premises in 2003.

Following a review, the Director General and Inspector General of Police transferred the case to the SIT for further investigation.

After recording Bhat's statements, the special investigation team (SIT) claimed that she made contradictory statements, reported PTI. She reportedly said that she never had a daughter and that a false complaint was filed at the instigation of others.

However, after SIT's claims, Bhat later retracted her statement. The case has seen multiple twists, including disputes over the very existence of Ananya and contradictory witness statements.

SIT officers said the questioning will continue, as they examine evidence and testimony in connection with the disappearance.

The controversy erupted after a complainant, later identified as CN Chinnaiah, was arrested on charges of perjury, claiming to have buried a number of bodies, including those of women with signs of sexual assault, in Dharmasthala over a period of time, with the implications pointing towards the administrators of the local temple. In a bizarre turn of events, the complainant himself surrendered for alleged murders, rapes, and burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.

Fuelling political fire to the case, the BJP had protested against targeting the temple. Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had warned of action if the complaint was false.

Veerendra Heggade, the Dharmadhikari, or the custodian of the temple, welcomed the constitution of the SIT to probe the case.

(With inputs from PTI)