New twist in Dharmasthala horror: Mother seeks probe in 2003 MBBS student’s disappearance; assault, silence, fear haunt her

MANGALURU: Days after chilling allegations emerged in Dharmasthala about the disposal of bodies of sexual abuse and murder victims, a new complaint has surfaced. On Tuesday evening, Sujatha Bhat, mother of medical student Ananya Bhat who went missing in 2003, filed a fresh plea with Dharmasthala police demanding a thorough investigation into her daughter’s mysterious disappearance.Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru, Sujatha said she has been living in fear for over two decades. “If any remains are recovered and a DNA match confirms it’s my daughter, I will at least be able to perform her last rites so hersoul finds peace,” she added.Ananya, a first-year MBBS student in a college in Manipal, had travelled to Dharmasthala with her friends in 2003. She never returned. “I was working in Kolkata in 2003,” Sujatha said.Got little support in search: MomAt the time, I was in Kolkata for work. I rushed back and began searching for her,” Sujatha said. She also claimed she got very little support in her search for her missing daughter. “After being turned away by Belthangady police, I went to Dharmasthala where I was assaulted... I regained consciousness in a hospital.”