Sujatha Bhat’s lawyer urges SIT office be declared police station
Mangaluru: Advocate Manjunath N., representing Sujatha Bhat, mother of missing medical student Ananya Bhat, has welcomed the move of Dharmasthala villagers to approach the Special Investigation Team probing the mass burials case.
He described it as a hopeful sign in the pursuit of truth and justice. In a statement released today, the advocate revealed that locals had come forward with credible claims about witnessing secret burials in the village.
Advocate Manjunath raised procedural concerns, reiterating his long-standing appeal to have the SIT office formally declared as a police station under the Criminal Procedure Code. “Since the formation of the SIT, we have urged that its office be designated as a police station to avoid unnecessary inconvenience and ensure smooth functioning of the helpline created for the probe,” he said. The lack of such a status, he warned, is hampering the team’s ability to register and act on complaints directly.
Despite the fresh complainants’ willingness to participate, a response issued by the SIT reportedly directed them to approach the jurisdictional police station instead. This, according to Manjunath, defeats the very purpose of having a dedicated SIT if it cannot independently register cases or accept crucial information from witnesses.
The Advocate also has released a letter from a third anonymous witness in the Dharmasthala mass burials case.
In the letter the witness claims to represent villagers from Dharmasthala and nearby areas, has written to SIT Chief Pranab Mohanty seeking inclusion in the ongoing exhumation operations. According to the letter, the individual claims to have personally witnessed the first complainant, whose identity has been featured in media reports, secretly transporting and burying human remains at various sites in the village.
The witness emphasized that while the burial operations may have been carried out in secrecy, they did not go unnoticed in a closely-knit rural community. He appealed to the SIT to allow them to independently identify burial sites beyond those already marked by the first complainant.
The third witness also expressed confidence in the SIT, noting that its formation under the direction of the Chief Minister has emboldened fearful villagers to come forward. They described the SIT’s presence as a “shield of safety” that is helping the truth surface after years of silence.
However, the SIT's assistant officer, in an official response, noted that the witness’s application had been reviewed and advised that complaints or evidence regarding criminal activity must be submitted to the jurisdictional police station for further action.
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'Homebound' makes it to Oscar shortlist for best international feature
Mumbai (PTI): Neeraj Ghaywan's much acclaimed "Homebound" is among the 15 films shortlisted in the best international feature category at the Oscars, moving a step close to the final five nominations and maybe a win.
The movie, inspired by a true story that became the basis of a news article during the pandemic, has been creating a global buzz since its debut in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival this May.
Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese is a fan and has come onboard as an executive producer ahead of the award season.
Produced by Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla, and starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, "Homebound" is Ghaywan's second movie after "Masaan".
"Homebound" will compete for an Oscar nomination alongside Argentina's “Belén”, Brazil's “The Secret Agent”, French drama "It Was Just an Accident”, Germany's "Sound of Falling” and Iraq's "The President's Cake".
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The other movies in the shortlist include Japan's “Kokuho”, Jordan's “All That’s Left of You”, Norway's “Sentimental Value”, Palestine's “Palestine 36”, South Korean hit “No Other Choice”, Spain's “Sirat”, "Late Shift" from Switzerland, “Left-Handed Girl”from Taiwan and Tunisian drama “The Voice of Hind Rajab”, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced in a release on Tuesday.
The award for best foreign film, now re-categorised as best international feature, has so far eluded India.
Only three Indian films have received nominations in the category -- Mehmood Khan’s “Mother India”, Mira Nair’s “Salaam Bombay” and Ashutosh Gowarikar’s “Lagaan”. Deepa Mehta’s “Water”, starring John Abraham and Lisa Ray, also received a nomination but it was submitted from Canada.
Gujarati film "Chhello Show" in 2023 was the last film to get shortlisted.
Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya was the first Indian to get an Oscar, bagging the coveted prize in 1983 for the film "Gandhi". Other than her, A R Rahman, Resul Pukootty and M M Keeravani have also won individual Oscars.
Team "Homebound" celebrated the shortlist news with posts on social media.
"We made the shortlist... Way to go team Homebound'!" Johar shared in Instagram Stories.
In a post, the producer said it was difficult for him to articulate how "proud and elated" he was with the news.
"All of us @dharmamovies are privileged to have this proud and important film in our filmography... thank you @neeraj.ghaywan for making so many dreams of ours come true... from Cannes to being on the Oscar shortlist this has been such an overwhelming journey! Love to the entire cast and crew and teams of this special special film! Upwards and onwards...."
Ghaywan also shared the news on X.
"#Homebound has been shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards! We are deeply grateful for the extraordinary love and support we've received from around the world," he wrote on X with a special poster of the film.
Jethwa, who plays one of the two friends in the story opposite Ishaan Khatter, said the moment feels "surreal and incredibly humbling".
"To see 'Homebound' being shortlisted and progressing towards the Oscars is something I could have only dreamed of. I am deeply grateful for the love and support the film has received from audiences around the world," he said as he acknowledged Johar, Ghaywan and co-star Khatter and the rest of the team.
Khatter also shared the news on his Instagram stories and wrote, "Oscar ab dur nahi".
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"Homebound" is inspired by journalist Basharat Peer's The New York Times article “Taking Amrit Home”, also titled "A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway".
The film portrays the childhood friendship between a Muslim and Dalit who chase a police job that promises them the dignity they have long been denied due to their surnames.
The Academy on Tuesday also announced shortlists in 11 other categories, including the newly added casting Oscars, animated shorts, cinematography, documentary feature, documentary short, original score and song, sound and visual effects categories.
Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
Twenty-four categories will be awarded at the 98th Oscars. Each category has five nominees, except for best picture, which has 10.
The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
