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NC: 2026:KHC:17755 WP No. 31207 of 2025

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 1^ST DAY OF APRIL, 2026

BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM

WRIT PETITION NO. 31207 OF 2025 (GM-POLICE)

BETWEEN:

JAYAPRAKASH V. NAYAK S/O. VENKANNA NAYAK. AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS.

THE ADMINISTRATOR, AYUR ASHRAMA,

NO.1517/A, VISHAL BHAVAN, 17TH CROSS, 8TH MAIN, A BLOCK MILK COLONY,

RAJAJINAGAR IIND STAGE.

BENGALURU - 560 010.

…PETITIONER (BY SRI. S. RAJASHEKAR, ADVOCATE)

Digitally signed by SHARADAVANI AND:

B Location: High Court of

Karnataka 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REP. BY ITS CHIEF SECRETARY.

VIDHANA SOUDHA, DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI,

BENGALURU - 560 001.

2. THE ADDITIONAL CHIEF SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT,

DEPARTMENT OF HOME, VIDHANA SOUDHA,

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NC: 2026:KHC:17755 WP No. 31207 of 2025

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DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI, BENGALURU - 560 001.

3. THE DIRECTOR GENERAL AND INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE,

NRUPATHUNGA ROAD, BENGALURU - 560 001.

4. THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, INFANTRY ROAD,

BENGALURU - 560 001.

…RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. VIKAS ROJIPURA, AGA)

THIS WP IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTIO OF INDIA PRAYING TO i) DIRECTION TO THE RESPONDENTS TO PROVIDE / CONTINUE TO PROVIDE X SCALE WITH ESCORT OR IN AN ALTERNATIVE TO PROVIDE WITH ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO THE PLAITNIFF SRI. SRI SRI VIDYAVACHASPATHI VISHWA SANTOSH BHARATHI SRIPADARU. THE PONTIFF OF AYUR ASHRAMA, BENGALURU PURSUANT TO THE ORDER DATED 02/06/2022 AND THE REFERENCE CAN BE SEEN TO THE SAID ORDER VIDE ANNX-H

AND ETC.,

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY

HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM

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NC: 2026:KHC:17755 WP No. 31207 of 2025

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ORAL ORDER

The captioned petition is filed seeking the following

reliefs:

"i) Issue a writ of mandamus or direction to the respondents to provide/continue to provide 'X' scale with escort or in an alternative to provide with adequate police protection to the pontiff Sri Sri Sri Vidhyavachaspathi Vishwa Santosh Bharathi Sripadaru, the pontiff of Ayur Ashrama, Bengaluru pursuant to the order dated 02.06.2022 and the reference can be seen to the said

order vide Annexure-H.

ii) Issue any other writ, order or direction and grant such other and further reliefs as this Hon'ble Court deems fit and proper under the circumstances of this case, in the

interest of justice and equity."

2. The petitioner, who claims to be the Administrator

of “Ayur Ashram” and is admittedly in-charge of the day- to-day affairs of the Ashrama, has approached this Court seeking a writ in the nature of mandamus on behalf of the pontiff, Sri Sri Sri Vidyavachaspathi Vishwa Santosh Bharathi Sripadaru, the religious head of the divine Peeta, Sri Sri Sri Barakooru Maha Samsthanam, situated at Barkooru in Udupi District. The gist of the petitioner’s grievance is that the said pontiff has been under a

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consistent and genuine threat perception to his life, which had, in fact, prompted a sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly to address a communication dated 23.01.2012 to the then Hon’ble Chief Minister seeking adequate police protection to the pontiff. Acting on such inputs and assessment of threat perception, ‘Y’ category security was initially granted to the pontiff, which, upon periodic review, came to be scaled down to ‘X’ category security. It is not in dispute that such ‘X’ scale security continued till

September 2025.

3. The core grievance urged before this Court is that

the said ‘X’ category security has been abruptly and unilaterally withdrawn without any prior notice, reasons, or opportunity being extended to the pontiff, thereby compelling the petitioner to invoke the extraordinary

jurisdiction of this Court.

4. Per contra, learned Additional Government

Advocate, on instructions, would submit that the pontiff

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was extended ‘X’ category security with escort

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