IGP visits Shiroor Mutt, Sode seer appoints incharge

IGP Western Range Arun Chakravarthy, on Tuesday, visited the original Shiroor Mutt at Shiroor near Hiriyadka and also the Shiroor Mutt on Car street in Udupi in connection with the death of the seer.

Speaking to media persons after holding a meeting at the SP office to review the progress in the case, the IGP said no arrest had been made so far.

The police are looking into all possibilities and trying to crack the case at the earliest, Chakravarthy said. The IGP said that the post-mortem report and FSL report were awaited.

Five teams had been constituted to work on the case and the teams were looking into different angles. There is no major breakthrough in the case yet, he added. The IGP also visited the site where the seer, Lakshmivarateertha Swami, has been laid to rest at the original mutt.

Ramya Shetty, a close aide of the late seer, has been reportedly detained by the Udupi police for the last three days.

Confirming this, the Dakshina Kannada (DK) police said that she was handed over to the Udupi police by the Belthangady police on Sunday.

She was taken into custody at Venoor when the car by which she was travelling developed a technical snag on Sunday afternoon. Police said there were four people in the car. Ramya was reportedly wearing a burkha. Ramya hails from Sullia in DK district. However, the Udupi SP has denied that any arrest has been made in connection with the case.

Sode Vadiraj Mutt seer Vishwavallabhateertha Swami has appointed an incharge to take care of the affairs of Shiroor mutt, till a new pontiff is anointed. Subramanya Bhat, a former manager of the mutt and a close associate of the Sode Mutt seer, will look after the affairs of the mutt.