Lawyer urges government to set up SIT helpline for Dharmasthala complaint victims
Mangaluru: Advocate Manjunath N, representing Sujatha Bhat in the Dharmasthala missing persons case, has urged the government to immediately establish a public helpline for victims and their families to file complaints directly with the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
In a late-night press statement on Monday, the lawyer emphasised the need for an accessible communication channel in light of the SIT’s ongoing probe into the alleged mass burial incident in Dharmasthala. He noted that while several families have attempted to approach local police stations with their complaints, they have reportedly faced significant difficulties and hesitation in doing so.
Manjunath stated that many relatives of victims have contacted him personally, expressing their fear and the challenges they encounter when trying to file official complaints.
He further urged the government to take steps to publicise the SIT helpline widely so that people can come forward without fear or procedural hurdles. According to him, since the scope of the SIT investigation is wide, an easy and transparent method for the public to submit information is crucial.
Additionally, Manjunath requested the government to grant the SIT office an official status equivalent to that of a police station. This, he said, would help prevent the accused from exploiting legal loopholes to obtain court-issued restraining orders, a practice reportedly occurring in cases where the SIT does not hold formal police station powers.
The SIT is currently handling both the mass burial investigation and the disappearance case of Ananya Bhat, a first-year MBBS student who went missing during a 2003–2004 visit to the Dharmasthala temple. Her mother, Sujatha Bhat, is the primary complainant in the case.
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Congress misleading public on National Herald case, matter still in court: BJP
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress of running misleading propaganda over the trial court's decision in the National Herald case and said the court refused to take cognisance of the complaint but did not set aside the case.
The case is still pending trial in the Delhi High Court, and the trial court in its order on Tuesday said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can continue its investigation, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia asserted.
"The court yesterday (Tuesday) said that since it is a private complaint and no FIR has been lodged, it will not take cognizance of it. It's a technical matter. The court also said that ED can continue its investigation further. The court did not set it aside," Bhatia told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here
"Its trial is still going on. Sonia Gandhi is still Accused Number-1 and Rahul Gandhi Accused Number-2," the BJP spokesperson said, alleging, "The Gandhi family thrives on deceit, deception, and propaganda."
