Sujata Bhat has stated that she would like to drop her lawsuit regarding her daughter’s disappearance in Dharmasthala, which sparked the debate surrounding the town’s mass burial accusations.
According to sources cited by PTI, Bhat stated her wish to withdraw the complaint during her interrogation on Friday, the third day in a row that she was being questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) looking into the Dharmasthala case. In 2003, Bhat alleged that her daughter Ananya had vanished from the grounds of the Dharmasthala temple.
Her allegations followed those of a former sanitation worker who claimed to have worked in the town from 1995 to 2014 and who claimed to have been forced to bury many dead while there. Among the dead, he claimed, were those of women and children, some of whom also had evidence of sexual abuse.
Investigators reported Friday that Bhat, who had previously publicly retracted and expressed regret for the allegations pertaining to her daughter’s disappearance, appeared to be under a lot of stress and was having difficulty answering questions.
Her claims on Friday appeared to contradict her earlier remarks, according to SIT authorities, indicating that she had not been entirely truthful and was hindering the judicial process, PTI reported. Despite her earlier claims that the act was part of a bigger conspiracy, Sujata allegedly disclosed the identities of individuals involved in Ananya’s disappearance during Friday’s interview.
According to PTI, the officials declined to confirm the specifics, instead stating that the disclosures were being checked. On August 23, CN Chinnaiah, 50, the case’s initial complainant, was taken into prison by the SIT and placed under 10-day remand.
Officials claimed that the complainant’s allegations and supporting documentation contained multiple contradictions after his detention.