Chamarajanagar/ Hanur: The main accused in the Sulwadi Maramma Temple prasadam poisoning Immadi Mahadevaswamy, who is the junior seer of Salur Mutt at Male Mahadeshwara Hill, tried his best to evade arrest though the Police were on his hot chase following the death of over 16 people in the horrific incident.

Police sources told Star of Mysore that Mahadevaswamy alias Devanna Buddhi tried to escape to Tamil Nadu or to a place where his trusted lieutenants lived in the border areas. On Dec. 17, the Ramapura Police team visited Salur Mutt and questioned senior seer Vedabrahma Sri Guruswamy and also Immadi Mahadevaswamy. The latter was interrogated for about four hours.

After grilling, Mahadevaswamy was asked by the Police not to leave the Mutt without their permission. Also, a Police team in mufti had kept a close watch on Mahadevaswamy’s movements. Despite this, Mahadevaswamy tried to hoodwink the Police and attempted to escape to Tamil Nadu. Mahadevaswamy, realising that he would be caught at Palar Check Post between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, turned his vehicle towards Mysuru.

The Police team that was watching Mahadevaswamy tipped off Mysuru Police about Mahadevaswamy entering Mysuru limits. Senior Police officers then contacted Mahadevaswamy over phone and warned him that action will be taken against him if he dodges arrest. They asked him to immediately return to the Mutt premises.

Mahadevaswamy told the Police that he had high BP and was going to a hospital to get treatment. He later visited a doctor in Mysuru and returned to Salur Mutt premises on Dec. 18 where the Police again grilled him and was later brought to Kollegal. Mahadevaswamy later went to Bhikshuka Mutt at Kollegal where some people objected to his presence.

They told Mahadevaswamy to leave the Mutt and take shelter at a college owned by Salur Mutt. Mahadevaswamy reluctantly obliged and by the time Mahadevaswamy reached the college, hundreds of people had assembled there hearing about Mahadevaswamy’s involvement in the case which prompted the Police to take him with them.

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