BENGALURU — A war of attrition between Sri Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami, a prominent seer of the Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha at Kudalasangama in Karnataka, and four alleged blackmailers, including a woman, has created a furore in the religious and political circles of the state.
The matter came to a head as serious allegations of sexual harassment and blackmail surfaced against the seer, who, in turn, filed a counter-complaint claiming an extortion attempt and a conspiracy to defame him.
A woman has lodged a detailed complaint with the State Women’s Commission, alleging that the seer sexually exploited her and threatened to release private videos. The complaint has also been submitted to the chief minister, the home minister, and the Human Rights Commission. According to the woman, she had been in contact with the seer for the past two to three years, initially connecting with him over social media platforms such as Snapchat. Their interaction later moved to phone calls and chats. She alleged that the seer invited her to the mutt under the pretext of offering prasadam (a divine gift), where he behaved inappropriately, used objectionable language, and indecently touched her. The woman further claimed that the seer recorded private videos without her knowledge during the alleged incident and later used them to blackmail her.
The woman stated that she was repeatedly pressured to cooperate sexually and was allegedly forced to participate in nude video calls at night. The accused reportedly threatened to share the videos with her husband, family, and on social media platforms. She also alleged that due to continuous harassment and fear, she suffered mental stress and eventually informed her husband before filing a complaint with the police. She has stated that she is ready to provide call recordings and other evidence during the investigation.”
Meanwhile, Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami has strongly denied all allegations and filed a counter-complaint on April 4 against four individuals. In his complaint, he alleged that the woman and her associates demanded Rs 3 crore and resorted to blackmail when he refused to pay. The seer claimed that the woman had earlier introduced herself as a member of the Lingayat community running a trust for orphaned and underprivileged children. He said she had sought financial assistance for her organisation and continued to pressure him for money.
According to his complaint, when he declined financial help, she allegedly began threatening him with false accusations. He also alleged that on February 11, while travelling from Vijayapura to the mutt, his vehicle was stopped by the woman and others, who demanded money and attempted to assault him when he refused. Security personnel later intervened.
The seer further claimed that the accused were trying to tarnish his image through media and social platforms despite a court injunction against defamation. He has also alleged that political forces are behind the attempt to damage his reputation and disrupt the Panchamasali reservation movement.
Police have taken up both complaints and further investigation is underway.
