Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Feb 15: Police personnel belonging to Tirupathi in Andhra Pradesh (AP) as well as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) visited the town and conducted searches in an Ashram in the outskirts of the town on Sunday February 14. It is gathered that they were looking for the former junior Swamijii of Kashi Math, Raghavendrateertha alias Shivananda Pai alias Chotu, who had relinquished his position. It is said that Pai is absconding with invaluable items belonging to Kashi Math Samsthan, several of which are over 500 years old.

(File photo)

Raghavendrateertha had not returned a number of items belonging to Kashi Math that were in his possession at the time after being divested of his position at his own request. The court at Tirupathi had ordered him to return all the belongings of the Math intact unconditionally. He had absconded from Tirupathi after this order was passed. Andhra police had got information sometime later that he had gone into hiding in some places in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

After the AP and CBI police came to know that the Swami in question was hiding in an Ashram in Wayanad in Kerala. Although Tirupathi police headed by deputy superintendent of police, Ram Mohan, raided the spot, they drew a blank. Thereafter, CBI had issued red corner notice, announcing a prize of Rs 1 lac to anyone giving information about the fugitive.

During the raid at Wayanad, the police got information that Raghavendrateertha was hiding in an Ashram near Puttur. On the basis of this information, the joint team of AP and CBI police arrived here on Saturday night, stayed in a lodge and sought help from police and some prominent leaders from Gowd Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) community to complete their task. With the support of GSB leaders and disciples of Kashi Math a raid was conducted at the Ashram but the team did not succeed in its aim as they could not find the person they were looking for.