The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday stayed the order of the Chief Secretary directing the Commissioner for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments to conduct an inquiry into the allegations made against Sri Ramachandrapura Mutt and its seer Raghaveshwara Bharati Swami.
Justice Vineet Kothari passed the interim order on a petition filed by the mutt and the seer questioning the Chief Secretary’s May 23, 2017 order.
The Chief Secretary had passed the order on a representation submitted by Edurkala Ishwara Bhat and Jaikrishna A.K. for bringing an enactment to regulate the affairs of all the mutts in the State and to conduct an inquiry against the petitioner-mutt and its seer for alleged misconduct, maladministration, inappropriate behaviour, fabrication of records, diversion of funds and properties, and failure to perform rituals as per the tradition of the mutt.
Interim direction
The representation was submitted as per an interim direction given by a Division Bench of the High Court on a public interest litigation petition filed by them seeking direction for enactment of a law to govern mutts and to hold an inquiry against the petitioner-mutt.
However, the petitioner-mutt has claimed that the Chief Secretary had erred in ordering an inquiry against the mutt when the Karnataka Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act is not applicable to mutts.
The Chief Secretary should have issued notices to all the mutts in the State as per the Division Bench’s direction and should have heard the views of all the mutts on bringing an enactment to regulate mutts in the State, the petitioner-mutt contended while pointing out that State cannot use its executive power under the Article 162 against mutts as they are not governed by the law.