In a stunning reversal, Sujatha Bhat, the Bengaluru-based woman who had captured public attention with her claims of a missing daughter named Ananya Bhatt, has now confessed that the entire story was a fabrication, allegedly concocted under the influence of others to stake a claim on a family property dispute.
The case, which has sparked widespread debate and a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), took a dramatic turn with Sujatha Bhat’s public confession and subsequent retraction, creating a web of confusion.
The Confession: A Story Fabricated for Property
In an interview with the YouTube channel ‘Insight Rush’, a remorseful Sujatha Bhat admitted to lying. “I lied because Girish Mattannavar and T. Jayant told me to. Please forgive me, I made a mistake,” she stated. “I apologize to Dharmasthala, to the people of Karnataka, and to the people of the country.”
She claimed her motivation was a long-standing dispute over her grandfather’s property in Dharmasthala, which she alleged was donated to a trust without her signature. “I did this for my grandfather’s property… I should have got a share,” she said, pleading to be freed from the controversy.
Throughout her statements, Sujatha Bhat maintained that her grievance was with her family’s decision to donate the property, not with the Dharmasthala temple or its head, Veerendra Hegde.
In her emotional apology, she said, “I have not hurt the feelings of the people of Dharmasthala… They provoked me to do so… Please, enough is enough, I will live my life.”
Family Denial
Sujatha Bhat’s claims had earlier been vehemently denied by her own family. In an exclusive interview, her brother disowned her, stating they had been out of contact since she left home in 1988-89. He dismissed her story saying, “Everything Sujatha says is a lie. We do not know if she has a daughter. She ran away from home in 1988-89, and we have had no contact with her since. Any claims regarding children or marriage are false. We cannot believe her.” He also clarified that the family had willingly parted with the land in question decades ago and had no ongoing claims. He stated that their grandfather’s land had been legally donated by Shanga Shringaramma to Anantha Padmanabha Upadhya and later handled by their family. “We gave up our desire for it, sold some portions, and built a house with the proceeds. There is no need for Sujatha Bhat to take signatures or claim anything,” he stated.
SIT Investigation
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged mass burials and related issues in Dharmasthala has now issued a notice to Sujatha Bhat. The SIT has directed her to appear at the Belthangady office and submit all documents pertaining to her daughter, Ananya Bhat. Investigators are also collecting relevant records from Shivamogga, Bengaluru, and Udupi to verify the claims.
The SIT had found no evidence of Ananya Bhatt’s existence. No school, college, or medical admission records under that name were found. The only “evidence” ever presented was a single passport-sized photograph, which Sujatha has now declared “fake.”
A Retraction of the Confession
Adding layers of confusion, Sujatha Bhat later told ‘United Media’ that her confession was made under duress. Speaking to Asianet Suvarna News, Sujatha alleged that she was forced to give an interview inside a car and pressured to name certain individuals, saying, “They forced me to do this. I will say that I never gave it; you took it by force.” She expressed frustration that her interview was broadcast before she had returned from appearing before the SIT, stating that the release damaged her reputation.
Sujatha also said, “I had given an interview. Why did they broadcast it on before I went to the SIT and came back? Why did they broadcast the interview on without permission? They threatened me and said that I will have to do it. I will say that they forced me to take the interview.”
She described the circumstances in detail: “They forced me to take a statement in a car, tell me the name of these people, they forced me to do this, I will say that.” Sujatha repeatedly emphasized that the interview was broadcast without her consent and expressed frustration over the way it was handled.
The SIT has issued her a formal notice to appear for questioning and submit any documents related to her daughter. Investigations have expanded to include Bengaluru, Udupi, and Shivamogga.
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— Nagendra Prasad (@Nagprasad63) August 22, 2025
The News Minute which was “championing the cause” of the women and especially Ananya Bhat, has gone silent. They have not reported about the masked man’s confession, nor have they said anything so far about Sujatha Bhat’s confession.
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