Activist alleges usurpation of Property of a Temple Trust

Mangaluru: Social activist Damodar Shenoy Padubidri has alleged that prime land leased to the Shri Mahalasa Narayani Lakshmi Venkatesha Temple has been misappropriated through forged documents. Addressing a press conference, Shenoy stated that private individuals, with the involvement of a senior advocate and others, had fraudulently acquired ownership of the property located in the heart of Mangaluru, valued in crores.

The eight-cent land, originally leased in 1932 by Maroor Ganapathi Ananth Pai, the managing trustee of the temple, was intended to remain under the temple's trust. However, over time, the land’s ownership allegedly transferred to private individuals through manipulated records, bypassing rightful heirs such as Geetha Pai, the wife of Maroor Ganapathi Pai , and their family.

Shenoy claimed that the land records in the Bhoomi database were allegedly tampered with to remove references to the temple and replace them with names of private individuals, allegedly Kamala Padya, Vimala Shenoy, Mangalpady Sandhya Shenoy, and Mangalpady Varadaraya Shenoy of Upendra Trading Company. These forged records were subsequently submitted to the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

A complaint was filed with the Lokayukta, and recently, a petition was submitted to the Deputy Lokayukta, Justice Veerappa, who directed the police to take action. Despite filing a complaint with the Bunder Police Station on 1 December, Shenoy alleged that no FIR had been registered against the accused.

Shenoy, who holds the power of attorney from Geetha Pai, aged 72 and currently residing in Bengaluru, called on the Dakshina Kannada district administration to act swiftly. He also hinted at political influence as a possible reason for the lack of progress in the case, deterring others from coming forward.

The activist has demanded immediate investigation and stringent action against those involved in the alleged misappropriation of temple property.