The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Dharmasthala case on Monday (October 27) gave time to four activists to appear before it to face the inquiry.
Hence, activists Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, Girish Mattannavar, T. Jayant, and Vittala Gowda did not visit the SIT office in Belthangady on Monday. Earlier, the SIT had issued a notice asking them to appear before Chief Investigation Officer Jitendra Kumar Dayama at 10.30 a.m. on Monday.
Sources said that an advocate representing the four activists visited the SIT office on the day and sought time for the activists to appear for the inquiry.
Accordingly, Mr. Thimarody was given another seven days’ time, while the other three activists were given four days to appear before the investigation agency.
But Sujatha Bhat, who had complained to the police that her daughter had gone missing in Dharmasthala town, had been summoned by the SIT for inquiry and visited the office on Monday, a source added.
Meanwhile, Belthangady police on Monday took some members of Rashtriya Hindu Jagarana Vedike of Belthangady into preventive custody when they gathered within the premises of the Belthangady tahsildar’s office, stating that they wanted to submit a memorandum to the tahsildar.
Police had denied permission to the Vedike to stage a protest in Belthangady on Monday to oppose, according to the group, the government booking unnecessary cases against Thimarody.
Permission was denied considering that the hearing of a writ petition filed by Mr. Thimarody challenging the Puttur Assistant Commissioner’s order externing him to Vijayapura district is pending before the High Court.
Published – October 27, 2025 08:22 pm IST
