Dharmasthala case: Karnataka High Court quashes externment order issued to activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarody
Bengaluru, Nov. 17 – The Karnataka High Court has cancelled an order that forced activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarody to leave his home in Mangaluru. The order, issued in September, had sent him to Raichur district for a one‑year exile. The court said the move was made without proper legal justification and ordered the authorities to conduct a fresh inquiry into the case.
The decision was handed down by a bench led by Justice Suraj Govindaraj. It also told the prosecution to re‑examine whether the exile of Thimarody was warranted and required a new order with clear grounds and applicable legal sections within 15 days. The bench cautioned that no violent or coercive action should be taken against the activist while the case is reviewed.
Thimarody has been a key figure in the fight for justice over the 2012 death of 17‑year‑old student Soujanya, who was found dead near the Dharmasthala temple in Mangalore. He has long accused the temple authorities of covering up the murder. In addition, he has led protests about a suspected mass grave linked to the temple.
The original exile order stemmed from a report by the Bantwal Deputy Superintendent of Police and was signed by Puttur Division Assistant Commissioner Stella Varghese. It was part of a larger effort that placed 36 people under exile to “maintain law and order.” Thimarody, who lives in Mangalore’s Mangaluru district, challenged the order in court earlier this year.
He claimed that the government and the Home Department acted with bias and failed to provide details of any criminal cases used to justify the exile. He also pointed out that he had been acquitted in about ten cases and that closure reports had been filed in two others. The prosecution countered that the exile complied with legal procedure and that no natural‑justice rules were breached.
The High Court’s order deems the past exile move invalid, suspends any further action against Thimarody, and leaves the matter for final judgment. The court’s ruling means that Thimarody can once again stay in his home district while the authorities reassess the legal basis for his forced relocation.
For more on the Soujanya case and the role of the Dharmasthala temple, follow updates on local news outlets and the Karnataka Government’s official website.
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