The Lokayukta special court on Tuesday ordered a police investigation against Adichunchanagiri Math seer Balagangadharanatha swami for allegedly encroaching 15.31 acres of government land through forgery. Former corporator Lakshminarayana had lodged a private complaint before the Lokayukta special court, alleging that Balagangadharanatha swami has created a fake government order to encroach upon land in Hulimavu, close to Meenakshi Temple, and constructed a multi-storeyed school building.
He has named Prashantanatha swami, Purushotthamanandanatha swami, Dr Sunil Babu of Adichunchanagiri Math and Veerabhadraiah (then DC, land acquisitions BDA), Rame Gowda (then special DC, Bengaluru Urban) and other officials as accused in the complaint.
He has complained that six acres of land was granted to the Ramalingeshwara Swamy Temple Trust in 1981 and another 9.31 acres of land in 1985. Mr Lakshminarayana has stated that the ancient Ramalingeshwara Swamy Temple is situated inside a naturally formed cave spread across 1.5 acres. The state government also granted an additional 10 guntas of land to drill a borewell.
The complainant alleged that Mariyappa Swamy, who claimed to be the president of the temple trust, negotiated with Balagangadharanatha swami to transfer of trust property. Mr Mariyappa Swamy passed away two weeks ago, he stated. “Then DC (BDA) Veerabhadraiah allowed the transfer of land granted to the temple trust based on a government order, which is a fabricated document and doesn’t exist. The government had set a condition to the temple trust that the land should not be alienated and transferred to anyone else. By virtue of this order, the revenue authorities mutated the property in 1997,” he states in the complaint.
The remaining 10 guntas of land, which is on the northeast corner of the present Meenakshi Mall off Bannerghatta road, was interestingly shown as sold back by Balagangadharanatha swami to Mr Mariyyapa Swamy. The complainant stated that though he did not hold any title, he executed a sale deed in favour of Mr Mariyyapa Swamy for a consideration of `54.45 lakh in cash, he alleged. Judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao ordered investigation under section 156 (3) of CrPC and directed Lokayukta police to submit a report by July 13.