Charge sheet filed in Kanchugal Bandemutt pontiff suicide case

The Magadi police on Friday submitted a 216-page charge sheet and named four accused in connection with the suicide of Kanchugal Bandemutt pontiff on Friday at the judicial magistrate of the first class in Chitradurga

The Magadi police on Friday submitted a 216-page charge sheet and named four accused in connection with the suicide of Kanchugal Bandemutt pontiff on Friday at the judicial magistrate of the first class in Chitradurga.

Police submitted a 216-page charge sheet and named four accused in connection with the suicide of Kanchugal Bandemutt pontiff (Representative use)

The pontiff of the Kanchugal Bandemutt died by suicide on October 24 in his room.

The three-page death note written by the pontiff alleged that the accused used to blackmail him by recording nude videos through video chat.

In the death note, the pontiff alleged a conspiracy was being hatched by a group of people, including another pontiff, against him.

Based on the death note, Magadi Police conducted an investigation and submitted 216 pages charge sheet containing a statement of 72 witnesses to the case, said the senior officer in charge of the investigation.

“The case was registered against four accused including a pontiff and an engineering student,” said Magadi police inspector B Ravi.

“The engineering student Neelambike, known to the pontiff, hatched a conspiracy along with Kannur mutt pontiff and second accused Mrutyunjaya swami, third accused advocate Mahadevaiah and fourth accused B C Suresh,” the officer added.

During the investigation, she told police that she held a grudge against the pontiff after he “spoke ill” about another pontiff.

She hatched a plan and later approached Mrutyunjaya swami, who also held a grudge against the deceased.

According to the charge sheet (the HT has seen it ), the conspiracy was hatched in February 2022 and videos of the pontiff in a compromising position were recorded in April 2022.

Then, they demanded a huge amount of money from the pontiff to hush up the issue.

Unable to bear the torture the 44-year-old pontiff committed suicide, the police alleged in the charge sheet.

All three accused are in judicial custody, while the fourth accused BC Suresh, a photographer by profession, is at large.

Investigating officer Ravi said the accused was hiding in another state and efforts on to nab him soon.