Karnataka mutt chief seer ends life over ‘blackmail’, second priest to kill himself this year

The 44-year-old head of the influential Kunchagal Bande Mutt in Ramanagara district allegedly killed himself early on Monday morning.

Police have found a two-page purported death note, which blames unidentified people for “harassing and blackmailing” the seer.

Sri Basavalingeshwara Swami aka Basavalinga Swami was the serving head of the mutt which is located in Kempupura, Magadi taluk, and has a history of more than 400 years. He had taken over the reins in 1997.

The police said the seer was found hanging from a window grille inside his puja house located right outside the Sri Mahalingeshwara Swamy Temple on the mutt premises. The police believe he killed himself a few hours earlier.

Mutt staff were alarmed when they found that the door of the puja house was still shut at 6 am. The staff knocked on the door but did not get a response. The seer did not answer their phone calls either. This was unusual because the seer, who lived in the puja house, almost always woke up by 4 am to perform puja and kept the door open. Ramesh, a teacher at the mutt, then went to the back of the puja house and found the seer hanging. According to him, he had last seen the seer at around 5 pm on Sunday.

The staff informed the Kudur police who arrived at the mutt and launched an investigation. The purported death note was found on the seer’s bed.

K Santosh Babu, superintendent of police, Ramanagara, told DH: “A case of abetment to suicide has been registered at the Kudur police station. Further investigations are in progress.”

The police refused to disclose the people named in the death note and the exact allegations against them. A senior officer could only say this: “It is related to some people harassing and blackmailing the Swamiji. Unable to bear the harassment and fearing social stigma, the Swamiji took this extreme step.” While the police planned to question the people named in the death note, they were busy with security arrangements for the funeral, which took place on Monday evening after the post-mortem.

Another senior officer said all those who were in regular touch with the seer and made video calls to him would be questioned.

Basavalingeshwara Swami is the second Ramanagara seer to kill himself in the last one year. On December 19, 2021, the head of Chilume Mutt, also named Basavalinga Swamy, was similarly found hanging. That suicide was attributed to ill health and poor patronage of the mutt. A few employees of the mutt and disciples said that the swami was depressed for the past six months.