Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Aug 27: A criminal case filed against a staff of Sri Krishna Math dining hall by a woman, accusing the said staff of making caste discrimination, caste abuse and defamation in the name of reservation of certain rows of people during the lunch served at the Math for a particular caste there, was dismissed by the high court (HC) on Wednesday, August 26. The case was filed in 2014 by a local, Vanitha Shetty.

A single-judge bench of the HC which heard the case and listened to arguments and counter-arguments passed the said order. The bench felt that no civil rights were violated as alleged by the complainant. It observed that the Math follows certain customs, traditions and rules since ages, and in accordance with them, the petitioner had been asked to have lunch at the general dining hall. Therefore, the high court said, a need for further hearing of the case has not arisen.

Advocates A Keshava Bhat and S K Acharya, appearing for Sri Krishna Math, pointed out that the complainant is a local who is aware of the policies, traditions and rules followed by the Math. "She was seated in a place earmarked for Brahmins. The Math staff convinced her to have food at the general dining hall. No citizens rights were violated and the Math was only following certain traditions established there," they stated. The advocates also said that no one was obstructed from paying obeisance to the presiding deity of the Math and defamation was not involved and no caste abuse was involved.