Kollegal: The Additional Civil Court here has vacated the stay order brought by M.M.Hills Salur Mutt Junior Seer Immadi Mahadevaswamy against the appointment of successor for the Mutt in his absence.

Immadi Mahadevaswamy is in jail in connection with Sulwadi temple food poisoning case in which at least 17 people lost their lives and scores of other devotees fell ill. Immadi Mahadevaswamy is the prime accused in the case, which shocked the entire State in December 2018.

After the Sulwadi temple food poisoning case, the temple devotees and Bedagampana community leaders from 53 villages, including 33 of neighbouring Tamil Nadu, met and resolved to oust the jailed Immadi Mahadevaswamy as the head of the Mutt. Amidst all this, a Committee was formed for appointing the successor to the Mutt. Upon learning of the move to appoint his successor, Immadi Mahadevaswamy filed a petition at the Kollegal Additional Civil Court in August  2019 seeking a stay against the appointment of any successor in his absence. The Court then had issued a temporary stay order.

But  Additional Civil Court Judge Santosh Kothari on Monday dismissed Immadi Mahdevaswamy’s plea  and vacated the stay order on the appointment of Salur Mutt successor, saying that the case does not come under the purview of this Court.

The vacation of the stay order enables the appointment of the successor. However, Immadi Mahadevaswamy has the option to file a petition in a Higher Court.