Fake stories attack the religious place, and lies on social media tarnish its centuries-old glory

National News: The name of the shrine was dragged into a controversy in recent months in which there was no solid evidence. The story of the disappearance of a student named 'Ananya Bhatt' in 2003 was made viral on social media. This story was presented as if a big secret had been suppressed. But the reality is that no student of this name studied at Kasturba Medical College. No name in the register, no case in the police records, no report of that time in any newspaper.

Witnesses and documents missing

The story gained momentum again when a former cleaning contractor named Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi claimed that he was forced to dispose of bodies related to criminal incidents in the shrine. He went to the alleged places and took photographs of the bones and gave them to the officers. But the investigation did not prove these photographs to be related to any real crime. No witness came forward, nor was any evidence found.

Account of old dispute

Mahesh Shetty has had several conflicts with the religious place administration in the past. His campaign calls itself a people's movement, but observers say that it smacks of personal enmity. His statements and allegations often spread mistrust and misunderstanding among people. This "fitna" (fitna), as it is called in Urdu, spread rapidly through social media.

The new role of being a mother

Years later, a woman, Sujatha Bhatt, came forward claiming to be Ananya's mother and a former CBI officer. She tried to link this alleged case to Mahesh Shetty's claims. But she had no documentary evidence, no report filed with any investigating agency. This turned out to be just a way to make the story more sensational.

Atmosphere of punishment before proof

This case shows that in today's times, just repeating a story on social media is enough to make it true. The result is that even a hundred-year-old reputation is destroyed in minutes. A viral "tale" is more popular than the truth.

Attack on the reputation of the shrine

Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala is not just a religious place but a big center of service, education, and charity. But fake news and fabricated stories are damaging its reputation. If such “rumor attacks” continue, people will forget the truth and start believing in rumors.

Lessons we must remember

There is only one lesson from this whole case—before believing any trending story, one should think about who is benefiting from it and what the evidence is. In the case of Dharamsthal, the answer is clear—this is not a conspiracy of justice, but a conspiracy to break the trust.