Karnataka: Gun-firing video lands Kalaburagi seer in hot water; devotees stage stir, seek action

KALABURAGI: Police have registered a suo motu case under the Arms Act against Shantalinga Shivacharya Swami, seer of Sankaralingeshwar Hiremath Sansthan in Udchan village of Kalaburagi district, after a video showing him firing shots into the air went viral on social media. He was remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday.

Superintendent of police Adduru Srinivasalu said the seer was questioned and an investigation was under way. "In the viral video, a man is seen firing a gun into the air. Based on a report from our social media monitoring cell, we registered a case at Afzalpur police station," he said.

The SP confirmed that the firearm was licensed to the seer and that no complaint had been filed against him, nor was there any immediate threat to law and order. However, he said police acted after the video triggered demands for action from the public. "Accordingly, a case has been registered," he added.

Meanwhile, alleging erratic behaviour by the seer and his involvement in other unlawful activities, some devotees staged a night-long protest in the village on Tuesday, demanding action against him.

Shantalinga Swami has served as the seer of the mutt for the past 20 years. Villagers said he was involved in a car accident at Salotagi village in Vijayapur district eight months ago, after which he went absconding for several months before resurfacing at the mutt, even as efforts were under way to appoint a new seer.

"He did not give up his earlier bad habits even after returning," alleged Gaddeappa Metre, a villager and devotee of the mutt.



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