Bengaluru, Nov 17 Karnataka High Court on Monday quashed the externment order issued by authorities against activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarody in connection with the 2012 Soujanya death case. Thimarody has been confronting the Dharmasthala temple authorities in the Soujanya death case and has also been at the forefront of the agitation against the temple authorities in the alleged mass grave case.
The Bench, headed by Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the order and also directed the prosecution to conduct a fresh enquiry against Mahesh Shetty Thimarody and asked the authorities to issue a new order with fresh reasons and relevant Sections within 15 days.
Mahesh Shetty Thimarody was externed to Raichur district from his native Mangaluru district on September 18 for a period of one year. He had challenged the order before the court.
The externment order was issued by the Mangaluru district administration based on a report by the Bantwal Dy SP, following which Puttur Division Assistant Commissioner Stella Varghese passed the order. Mahesh Shetty Thimarody was among the 36 people against whom externment proceedings were initiated to maintain law and order in the district.
The Karnataka government had defended its decision to extern Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, who has been leading the fight for justice in the Soujanya death case against Dharmasthala temple authorities, stating that the order followed due legal procedure and did not violate the principles of natural justice. The order directed him to stay in Manvi town of Raichur district.
Mahesh Shetty Thimarody claimed that the government and the Home Department acted with prejudice against him and failed to provide details of the criminal cases cited to justify the externment order. He contended that he has been acquitted in about 10 cases and closure reports have been filed in two others.
The prosecution, rejecting his claims, stated that the government had not violated any principles of natural justice and that there were no procedural lapses in the externment order. After hearing both sides, the court directed the authorities not to initiate coercive action against Mahesh Shetty Thimarody and reserved the matter for judgment.
Soujanya, a 17-year-old college student, was found murdered in October 2012 near Dharmasthala in Mangaluru district. The incident sparked widespread outrage, with several organisations claiming that the investigation was mishandled. Mahesh Shetty Thimarody and other activists alleged that she was kidnapped, gang-raped, murdered and targeted temple management over it.
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