HC Chief Justice recuses himself from hearing Gokarna temple case

A division bench of the Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice R B Budihal on Monday recused itself from hearing a petition challenging the state government’s move of handing over the Sri Mahabaleshwara temple at Gokarna to Ramachandrapura Mutt of Hosanagar.

Mahabaleshwara Samsthan and Balachandra Vigneshwar Dixit had filed a Public Interest Litigation in 2008 challenging the government’s move. It is not the first time that a judge has recused from hearing a petition involving Ramachandrapur Mutt seer Raghaveshwara Bharathi. The Chief Justice quoted personal reasons for recusing himself from hearing the matter. “One of us is not willing to hear the petition. Hence, the petition would be transferred to another bench,” he said.

The seer’s counsel K G Raghavan immediately pleaded with the Chief Justice not to recuse himself from the case. “We have utmost respect for you,” he said. The petitioners’ counsel Subramanya Jois said that it has become a habit for some people to make wild and baseless allegations against judges hearing the case. Five judges had recused themselves from hearing the petition of Premalatha Diwakar Shastry who has accused Raghaveshwara Bharathi of raping her, he said.

Jois also pleaded with the Justice Mukherjee not to recuse himself. “The Supreme Court has ordered speedy disposal of the petition filed in 2008. Nobody has made any specific allegations against the Chief Justice. It would take much time to dispose off the petition if it is transferred to another bench,” Jois said. For a while, Raghavan and Jois were involved in heated arguments. On Justice Mukherjee’s advise. Raghavan later apologised to Jois.