ORDER

Petitioner-Pontiff of a Mutt is knocking at the doors of Writ Court for assailing the order dated 15.12.2022 passed by the learned II Addl. District & Sessions Judge, Chitradurga, whereby he has been ‘restrained from exercising the Powers or discharging the duties of SJM Mutt and other institutions running under the said Mutt as a Pontiff and head of the institution pending conclusion of trial.’ This order is made under section 8(2) of the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988, (hereafter ‘1988 Act’). After service of notice, the respondent-State has entered appearance through the learned AGA on record and its case is argued by the learned Advocate General who resists the Petition making submission in justification of the impugned order and the reasons on which it has been structured.

2. FACTS IN BRIEF:

(a) Petitioner happens to be the Pontiff of Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra Bruhanmutt, Chitradurga. The said Mutt originally established by Allamaprabhu who was a 12th-century my