Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Aug 11: The division bench of the state high court has dismissed an appeal filed by Sri Raghaveshwara Bharati Swamiji, spiritual head of Ramachandrapur Math, seeking cancellation of notice served on him by criminal investigation department police asking him to be present for undergoing medical tests relating to allegation of rape levelled against him by former Ram Katha singer attached to the Math, Premalata Shastri.

The bench comprising Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice Ravi Malimath, when dismissing the appeal, observed that the hearing of the appeal has lost its relevance as the sessions court has absolved the Swamiji of rape charges.

Criminal investigation department police had served notice on the Swamiji to appear at Victoria Hospital in empty stomach at 9 am on September 21, 2014 and offer himself for medical tests being held there in connection with the said case. The Swamiji had appealed to the high court, seeking cancellation of the notice. The single judge bench of the high court, in its December 3, 2014, order, had dismissed the petition filed by the Swamiji by saying that it would not interfere in the matter of medical tests. The Swamiji had thereafter appealed to the division bench against this order.

During the pendency of this petition in the high court, the district and sessions court had exonerated the Swamiji from the rape charges through an order passed on March 31 this year. In the light of this, the division bench of the state high court dismissed the appeal filed by the Swamiji.