Ananya Bhat is my daughter; I will prove it before SIT: Sujatha Bhat
"YouTube channel forced and threatened me to give that statement," claims Sujatha
Mangaluru: The controversy surrounding the alleged disappearance of a medical student named Ananya Bhat in Dharmasthala has taken a confusing turn after complainant Sujatha Bhat made contradictory statements within hours.
In the video interview released on Friday evening, Sujatha Bhat confessed that she never had a daughter named Ananya Bhat. “It was my mistake. I apologize,” she said, adding that she had been pressured by certain individuals to create and narrate the false story. She named Girish Mattannavar and Jayanth T. as the people who compelled her to make the false claim.
She clarified that no money was offered to her. “I met them only once. They told me to say that I had a daughter and pressured me into it. I never imagined it would escalate to this level and cause such disgrace,” Sujatha Bhat explained.
She further stated that while it was true she had been in a live-in relationship, she supported herself without depending on anyone. She also expressed resentment over family property issues, alleging that when her grandfather’s land was donated to the Dharmasthala temple, her consent as a granddaughter was ignored, making her feel as if she had been erased from the family. “That hurt me deeply, which is why I went along with what they said,” she added.
“All the photos I showed were fake. I never filed a complaint against the Dharmasthala temple or anyone associated with it. I only mentioned Dharmasthala village in my statement,” Sujatha Bhat clarified in the interview.
However, soon after the video began circulating widely, Sujatha Bhat gave a completely different version to TV9.
In her televised statement, she alleged that she was forced to make the earlier confession while being confined inside a car. “They pressured me to say those words. Ananya Bhat is indeed my daughter. They made me take the names of Girish Mattannavar and Mahesh Shetty. I want justice for my daughter, and I will present the full truth before the SIT,” she said from her Bengaluru residence.
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Pak, Afghan forces trade fire along Chaman border: Report
Islamabad (PTI): A heavy exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces was reported from the key Chaman border, according to a media report on Saturday.
Injuries were reported from the district hospital, but no fatalities occurred, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Officials from both sides accused each other of instigating the flare-up late on Friday night across the border in the Balochistan province.
While Pakistani officials said that Afghan forces had fired mortar shells on the Badani area, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed it was Pakistan that launched an attack on Spin Boldak, alleging that their forces were responding.
Pakistan's official sources told Dawn that Pakistani forces retaliated against the Afghan aggression and returned fire.
There were also reports of fighting on the Chaman-Kandahar highway, but these could not be immediately verified.
A senior official in Quetta confirmed on condition of anonymity that the exchange of fire started around 10 pm and continued until late at night.
The medical superintendent of Chaman district hospital said that three injured, including a woman, were brought to the medical facility.
There was neither any official word from the Inter-Services Public Relations -- Pakistan Army's media wing -- nor from the Foreign Office.
The Chaman border crossing, also known as Friendship Gate, connects Balochistan province to Afghanistan’s Kandahar.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated amidst regular allegations by Pakistan regarding the failure of the Afghan regime to deny safe havens to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terrorists.
The two countries had agreed on a ceasefire following tensions last month, but the Foreign Office said last month that technically there was no truce as it was contingent on the Afghan Taliban stopping terrorist attacks in Pakistan, which they had failed to do.
