Adichunchanagiri seer to face Lokayukta police heat

The Lokayukta Court on Tuesday directed the Lokayukta police to file charge sheet against Balagangadharanatha Swami of Adichunchanagiri Mutt, facing charges of land grabbing, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

The special court added 21 other accused to be included in the charge sheet along with the seer. The complaint also names IAS officers Veerabhadraiah, Ramegowda and M K Aiyappa, apart from KAS officer and Additional Commissioner of the BBMP, Shivabasavaiah.

 Two names excluded from the original complaint filed by ex-councillor of Hulimavu village, trustee and secretary of Ramalingeshwara Swamy Temple Trust, C Lakshminarayana, are BBMP Commissioner Shankarlinge Gowda and BWSSB Chairman Gaurav Gupta.

The complainant’s lawyers withdrew these names on account of a separate complaint filed against the two IAS officers, with the hope that the agencies will initiate administrative action against them. The matter has been posted to July 13 for hearing.

Acceding to the arguments and the evidence provided in support of the charges, Judge N K Sudhindra Rao on Tuesday said: “It is my sincere view that nobody would be at a loss with a fair investigation from an independent investigating body.” The case has been handed over to the Lokayukta SP for investigation into the entire land deal under Section 156 (3) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act.

Wrongful gain

The complaint states that Ramalingeshwara Temple Trust in Hulimavu village was granted 15 acres and 31 guntas in 1981 and 1985 after imposing certain conditions. In 1990, an additional 10 guntas in Hulimavu in Begur hobli was granted to drill borewells as the land around the temple was rocky.

The complaint alleges that a person by the name of Mariyappa Swamy struck a deal for Rs 54.45 lakh in the temple’s name and negotiated the sale of the land to Adichunchanagiri Maha Samsthana Math. Mariyappa Swamy died on May 7, 2012.

The complaint alleges that documents were fabricated by the accused by stating that the Ramalingeshwara Swamy Trust was entrusting the property to the Adichunchanagiri Maha Samsthana Mutt.

By virtue of those documents, the land was transferred in 1997. This transfer was also done on the basis of a government order issued by Under Secretary to Revenue Department, in violation of a non-transfer condition.

Later, the 10 guntas of land granted by the government to drill borewells was sold by the Adichunchanagiri Maha Samsthana Mutt to Mariyappa Swamy as if it was their personal property, the complaint said, adding that it amounted to wrongful gain and maladministration of the trust property.

The Adichunchanagiri Maha Samsthana Mutt occupied the land without authorisation and started unauthorised construction around the temple in the name of an educational institution. They also obtained a No Objection Certificate to start BGS National Public School.

They forged a sanction plan from Bommanahalli CMC to support their construction around the temple, the complaint alleged.