Mangaluru: Belthangady witnessed fresh tension on Thursday after the Puttur Assistant Commissioner reissued an externment order against Mahesh Shetty Thimarody, who has been spearheading protests and campaigns against Dharmasthala.
This is the second time that Mahesh Shetty has been externed, following earlier legal setbacks to the administration’s action. Puttur Assistant Commissioner Stella Varghese modified and reissued her earlier order, directing Mahesh Shetty to be externed to Manvi taluk in Raichur district.
Officials stated that the previous order suffered from legal shortcomings and procedural lapses, which were later flagged in court proceedings. These deficiencies, including improper invocation of legal provisions, have now been rectified, following which the revised externment order was issued.
Acting on the fresh order, Belthangady police visited Mahesh Shetty’s residence at Thimarody near Ujire on Wednesday morning to serve the order. However, police sources said Mahesh Shetty was not present at the house when the team arrived.
It is suspected that he left the premises before the police could reach there. After conducting a search of the house, the police pasted the externment notice on the premises and returned.
The development comes in the backdrop of the Karnataka High Court recently staying the earlier externment order issued against Mahesh Shetty, citing legal infirmities. The High Court had directed the authorities to follow due process of law and, if necessary, issue a fresh order strictly in accordance with legal provisions.
The court had specifically asked the Assistant Commissioner to correct the relevant sections and adhere to procedural safeguards before taking further action.
Mahesh Shetty has been at the forefront of protests and public campaigns raising allegations against Dharmasthala, which have generated considerable political and social debate in coastal Karnataka.
Supporters of Mahesh Shetty have alleged that the repeated externment orders amount to harassment and an attempt to silence dissent. On the other hand, the administration maintains that the action has been taken purely on law-and-order considerations.
With the reissued order now in force, further legal challenges are expected, even as police remain alert to enforce the externment directive in the coming days.
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