Mangaluru: The long-suspected conspiracy against Karnataka’s most revered Dharmasthala temple has now taken a turn with the deportation order against Mahesh Shetty Timarodi, a controversial leader of the Rashtriya Hindu Jagarana Vedike. Officials allege that Timarodi, already facing 32 cases ranging from riots to assault, had masterminded large-scale unrest targeting Dharmasthala by fabricating false narratives of robbery and religious impropriety.
Puttur Assistant Commissioner Stella Varghese has signed an order deporting Timarodi from Dakshina Kannada to Manvi taluk in Raichur district for one year. The order, issued on September 23, cites repeated law-and-order violations and his role in instigating disharmony. Police are yet to serve him the notice personally, after which the deportation will formally come into effect.
Conspiracy against Dharmasthala shrine exposed
Officials say Timarodi’s involvement in the so-called “Burude case” (skull case) was not a mere protest but part of a calculated attempt to malign Dharmasthala’s reputation and inflame communal tensions. During Special Investigation Team (SIT) raids on his residence, weapons were seized, leading to fresh cases at Belthangady police station.
Sources also confirm that masked man Chinnaiah, an accused in the fabricated “mass burials” narrative against Dharmasthala, has turned approver under Section 164 statements. His testimony reportedly reveals that the entire plot to accuse the temple of financial irregularities was orchestrated by Timarodi and his associates. This, investigators believe, was aimed at destabilizing the centuries-old institution and creating social unrest.
“Timarodi and his gang attempted to project Dharmasthala as corrupt and oppressive, but their real intention was to break the social trust that millions of Hindus repose in the shrine. This was a conspiracy not just against the temple, but against communal harmony,” said a senior police official involved in the investigation.
Long list of criminal charges
The record against Timarodi is extensive. In addition to the Dharmasthala cases, he faces charges including:
• Assault on journalists from Asianet Suvarna News at Ujire’s Benaka Hospital.
• Riot involving over 100 people at the same hospital premises.
• Illegal possession of deadly weapons.
• Derogatory remarks against BJP National Organizing Secretary B.L. Santosh.
In total, 32 cases are pending, prompting repeated public demands for his deportation.
Resistance in Raichur
However, the deportation order has sparked fresh controversy in Raichur. Dalit Sena and Samana Manaskar Vedike (like minded forum) have objected strongly to shifting Timarodi into their district, arguing that his presence will endanger peace there too.
“Someone who has conspired against Dharmasthala and is facing dozens of cases should not be dumped in our district. Deport him to some forest if necessary, but not to Raichur,” declared leaders of the groups.
Both organisations held protest at Ambedkar Circle, Raichur city, on September 24, demanding that the government revoke its decision. Posters calling people to resist Timarodi’s deportation have already circulated on social media.
Political and social implications
The deportation highlights growing concerns about anti-Hindu groups exploiting religious sensitivities for political or personal gain. Analysts point out that Dharmasthala, long regarded as a neutral religious and cultural symbol for Karnataka, has never been embroiled in such controversies until Timarodi’s network began its campaign.
By trying to link fabricated allegations with caste and community grievances, Timarodi’s gang allegedly aimed to split Hindu society from within and spark unrest across Dakshina Kannada. “This was a dangerous plot to pit communities against one another using a holy shrine as the target,” said a source close to the probe.
Chinnaiah wife alleged conspiracy
Meanwhile masked man Chinnaiah’s second wife alleged Chinnaiah is part of conspiracy. “The murders of a women in Dharmasthala village is all a lie. The Burude gang’s only intention was to put Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade in jail for at least a day,” said Mallika, the second wife of Burude case accused Chinnaiah, in a sting recorded by Asianet Suvarna News.
She alleged that the entire Sowjanya case was fabricated to malign the temple. “The Sowjanya case is just a pretext to paint black ink on the temple. Everything, including the murder, is a conspiracy. First, the brain mapping of Sowjanya’s mother Kusumavathi should be done,” Mallika declared.
Expressing her anguish, she added: “If my husband is in danger, I will not remain silent I will die. Everyone, including my husband, has lied to me and made him talk.”
Mallika further claimed her husband was falsely implicated. “Sowjanya case and my husband have no relationship. We were in Ooty with our child when Sowjanya was murdered. Chinnaiah’s statement that he saw the murder is false.”
Accusing activists of coercion, she said: “Girish Mattannavar threatened me. My husband was blackmailed, locked in Timarodi’s house, and not even allowed to urinate. Everything was the work of the Timarodi gang.”
