Karnataka High Court quashes externment order against Mahesh Thimarodi

The Karnataka High Court on Monday quashed an order externing activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi to Raichur for a year, and asked the concerned authority to decide the matter afresh [Mahesh Timmarodi V State of Karnataka and Ors]..The externment order, which sought to prevent Thimarodi from remaining in the Dakshina Kannada district, was passed on September 18 by Puttur Assistant Commissioner Stella Varghese. On Monday, Justice Suraj Govindaraj partially allowed the petition filed by Thimarodi and quashed the externment order on the ground that it suffered from procedural lapses and lacked proper reasoning. .Thimarodi is an activist known for being a vocal part of the Justice for Sowjanya movement, concerning the 2012 unsolved rape and murder of a college student whose body was found near the Nethravathi River in Dharmasthala.Thimarodi is also alleged to have given shelter to a sanitation worker who had claimed earlier this year that several dead bodies were buried in Dharmasthala. This allegation had led to suspicions that the Sowjanya murder case and the alleged Dharmasthala mass burials case were linked. The sanitation worker who made the claim of mass burials has, however, since been arrested for perjury. .The externment proceedings against activist Thimarodi culminated in the midst of these events. The externment proceedings were reportedly initiated in May in connection with several cases registered against him, including certain derogatory remarks he allegedly made against BJP national organising secretary BL Santosh. BJP Udupi Rural Mandal president Rajiv Kulal filed a complaint on August 18 at the Brahmavar police station against Thimarodi in the matter. Thimarodi was among 36 persons reportedly externed from the Dakshin Kannada district, citing concerns about public order. This was challenged before the High Court by Thimarodi. His counsel submitted that the externment order was passed mechanically, without proper reference to case details.He argued that nearly 10 criminal cases registered against Thimarodi had resulted in B-reports (closure reports), and that there was no reliable evidence to support the administration’s allegations that he might create disturbances..Senior Advocate Tharanath Poojary appeared on behalf of Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi. .Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.