Hanur: Even as Hanur temple tragedy, in which 17 people lost their lives due to poisoning of prasadam at Sulwadi Kichguth Maramma Temple, is still fresh in the minds of people, Immadi Mahadevaswamy, the Junior Seer of Salur Mutt, who is the prime accused in the case and currently in Jail, is said to have brought a stay from the Court on the naming of his successor to the Mutt.

After Immadi Mahadevaswamy was named as the prime accused in the poisoning case, the Salur Mutt devotees were planning to sack Immadi Mahadevaswamy and appoint a successor.

But Immadi Mahadevaswamy, after coming to know of the development, is said to have stalled the move by bringing a Court stay.

Salur Mutt Senior Seer Sri Pattada Guruswamy, owing to his old age and poor health, had called a meeting of the Mutt devotees on Aug. 15 at Gundegala, during which the Seer had asked the devotees to name his successor.

The devotees later resolved to name a successor from outside the families of Pattada Guruswamy and Immadi Mahadevaswamy and also decided to meet Suttur Mutt Seer to seek his guidance.

The devotees met Suttur Seer on Aug. 18, when Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji advised them to form a Committee and accordingly the devotees formed one that comprised former Hanur MLA Parimala Nagappa, Advocate Shashibimba, political leader Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy, Veerashaiva leader Thotesh, businessman Veeramadu and other prominent devotees.

This Committee met at Salur Mutt atop M.M. Hills on Aug. 28, during which they decided to sack Immadi Mahadevaswamy. Even as the Committee was discussing the issue, a Court Amin arrived at the venue and handed over a copy of the Court order that granted a stay to the selection of Junior Seer for the Mutt.

Due to the Court’s stay, the process to select the Junior Seer has been stopped for now. The Committee, however, has moved the Court seeking a vacation of the stay order and its plea is scheduled to come up for hearing on Oct. 16.

Amidst all these happenings is an interesting development the Committee came to know about a Will purportedly written by Pattada Guruswamy on July 17 mentioning that one Nagendra of Bandalli be made his successor. After the Will was found, the Committee met again last Sunday at Salur Mutt, during which the devotees raised the Will issue.

Pattada Guruswamy, clarifying on the Will, said that he had written it as he was severely ill and hospitalised. But later on, he recovered and came to the conclusion that the devotees themselves must make a choice on his successor, following which he convened a meeting of the Mutt devotees at Gundegala.

Maintaining that his Will shall become operative only after his death, Pattada Guruswamy assured the devotees that he would soon withdraw his registered Will and make way for the Committee to choose his successor.