Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Nov 20: Akhil Havyaka Maha Sabha has filed an affidavit in the state high court (HC), seeking the chief justice (CJ) of the state high court (HC), S K Mukherjee, to recuse himself from hearing the case filed in the HC seeking to unseat Sri Raghaveshwara Swamiji of Ramachandrapur Math from the post as spiritual head of that Math, and to appoint administrative officer in his place. 

The Sabha supported its request by citing that the petitioners in the said case have contacts with Swarupananda Swamiji of Dwaraka Peeta and the CJ himself is a devotee of Dwaraka Peeta Swamiji. 

"After he took over charge as the CJ of Karnataka HC, the CJ had claimed himself to be an ardent follower of Swarupananda Swamiji. He also had said that he could rise to this position because of the blessings of Swarupananda Swamiji. When Swarupananda visited the city recently, the CJ had met him, and the Swamiji had stayed for two days in the residence of the CJ. The petitioners in the case have contacts with Swarupananda Swamiji, and they as well as Swarupananda Swamiji have been opposing the practice of Ramachandrapur Math Swamiji using the prefix, Shankaracharya, to his name. Therefore, if the CJ, a devotee of Swarupananda Swamiji, conducts hearing in the case, the devotees suspect they may not get justice," the affidavit explains.

When the case filed against Sri Raghaveshwara Swamiji came up for hearing recently before the division bench of which the CJ is a member, the CJ had remarked on October 14 that Sri Raghaveshwara should have stepped down as the head of the Math. Director of Akhil Havyaka Maha Sabha, Mahabalehwara Bhat, in an affidavit filed as above, has sought to implead himself as a defendant in the case.