Mother of Ananya Bhat who went missing 22 years ago in Dharmasthala seeks fresh probe
Meets Dakshina Kannada SP as Dharmasthala Mass Burial Case unfolds
Mangaluru: In a significant development that ties into the ongoing Dharmasthala mass burial case, Sujatha Bhat — the mother of missing MBBS student Ananya Bhat, has approached the Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police, seeking a fresh investigation into her daughter’s mysterious disappearance in 2003.
Ananya Bhat, then a young medical student, had gone missing during a visit to the Dharmasthala temple. Despite repeated efforts and inquiries over the past 22 years, her family has received no clarity or closure on her whereabouts.
Now, amid explosive revelations surrounding the alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala, Sujaata Bhat has formally submitted a complaint to the SP, urging authorities to reinvestigate her daughter’s disappearance amidst the newly surfaced claims of unreported burials. She was accompanied by her advocate during the meeting.
Police officials have confirmed receipt of the complaint and stated that further action is likely as part of a renewed investigation.
The case took a sensational turn earlier this month when a man who had worked as a sanitation worker in Dharmasthala claimed to have buried hundreds of dead bodies under pressure. He initially submitted a written statement to the Dakshina Kannada SP and, a few days later, appeared before a Belthangady court, where he gave a formal testimony before the magistrate. During his court appearance, he also brought with him a human skeleton which he claimed he exhumed from the site of burial he used before moving into hiding. The skeleton has now been sent for forensic analysis.
The man reportedly told the court that he had buried bodies in several undisclosed locations around Dharmasthala and expressed willingness to identify those sites if the police conduct an investigation. Following this, two lawyers representing him have formally demanded the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged murders and illegal burials.
His confession and the shocking nature of the allegations have triggered a state-wide and national-level debate, raising serious questions about how unidentified deaths and disappearances in Dharmasthala have been handled over the years.
Sujatha Bhat’s renewed plea has now brought Ananya’s two-decade-old missing case back into the spotlight, with concerns growing over whether her disappearance was one of many such neglected or possibly connected incidents.
This is the first time in years that Ananya’s family has formally approached the police again, hopeful that the current momentum might finally lead them to the truth.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
