The Principal District Judge, Chitradurga district, will oversee the administration and management of Jagadguru Murugarajendra (JM) Vidhyapeetha run by J.M. Bruhan Mutt till the appointment of a president as per the by-laws to manage the Vidhyapeeta in place of incarcerated seer-cum-president Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, said the High Court of Karnataka.
However, the HC made it clear that on such appointment of the president for the Vidyapeeta, the role of Principal District Judge (PDJ) would come to an end without reference to court.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale and Justice M.G.S. Kamal passed the order while disposing of appeals on the single judge’s May 22, 2023 order of quashing State government’s December 13, 2022, notification appointing a retired IAS officer as the administrator for both the mutt and its Vidyapeeta. The administrator was appointed following the arrest of the seer, Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, on the charges of sexual assault on some minor girls of the institutions
