Dharmasthala Mass Burial case: No doubt police are working for accused, says Sujatha Bhat
Mangaluru, July 17: In a powerful statement issued on Wednesday, Sujatha Bhat, the mother of Ananya Bhat, a girl who went missing from Dharmasthala over two decades ago, and her advocate Manjunath N have accused the Dakshina Kannada police of shielding the accused in the Dharmasthala mass burial case. The press release, strongly worded demands immediate formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take over the probe.
The family’s outrage stems from the latest revelation made by Superintendent of Police Dr Arun K, who stated that the police had received local intelligence suggesting the key witness in the case might abscond after pointing out the locations where bodies are allegedly buried. Reacting sharply, the family questioned the logic of such a claim.
“If he intended to flee, why would he volunteer to guide the police to the burial sites?” asked Advocate Manjunath, expressing disbelief at the SP’s statement. According to the press note, the SP’s remarks indirectly confirm that the bodies are indeed buried in multiple locations around Dharmasthala and that the witness knows exactly where they are. Despite that, the police have delayed exhumation for nearly two weeks since the official complaint was filed on July 3.
The family said this inaction has allowed ample time for those involved to potentially tamper with or remove evidence. “There is no doubt that the Dakshina Kannada police are working for the accused,” the statement alleged. They went on to say that the failure to act is “nothing short of monstrous” and raised fears that the bodies might have already been removed or tampered with during this period of inaction.
Sujatha Bhat, whose daughter Ananya went missing under mysterious circumstances in Dharmasthala 22 years ago, said the ongoing developments have renewed their trauma. She expressed deep distrust in the current investigation team and pleaded with the Karnataka government to remove all existing officers from the probe.
“The Karnataka government is urgently requested to immediately form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and completely remove the current investigative personnel from the case. I pray that, in these two weeks, we do not face a situation where we have to question how much the current investigating officers have aided the accused,” the statement read.
This latest criticism comes at a time when the Dharmasthala mass burial case is drawing widespread attention across the state. The matter came into public light earlier this month after a former sanitation worker approached the court and confessed that he had buried multiple bodies under coercion many years ago. His statement was recorded under Section 164, and he even handed over skeletal remains to the authorities, which have since been sent for forensic analysis.
Despite this, the complainant’s legal team has repeatedly accused the police of dragging their feet and not taking the next steps quickly, particularly regarding the exhumation of human remains. Meanwhile, the police have maintained that they will proceed only when legally appropriate and with due process.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
