Panchamasali body expels three Harihara peetha trust members

Davanagere: The Karnataka Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Association has expelled three members of the Harihara Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha trust, including chief religious adviser B C Umapati, trustee Chandrashekhar Pujar and secretary Jyoti Prakash, over alleged misconduct and for bringing internal disputes into the public domain.Addressing reporters here on Sunday, association state president Somanagouda Malipatil said the decision was taken at a meeting held in Koppal on March 23 and came into effect on April 13. He said the formal announcement was delayed due to personal reasons. From that date, the expelled members ceased to have any authority over the trust's accounts, banking transactions or decision-making.Malipatil said the association, formed in 1994, holds supreme authority under the trust's bylaws, while the peetha trust itself was established in 2008. He added that only seven of the 11 lifetime trustees are currently alive and claimed that the bylaws, obtained through the Right to Information Act, empower the association to intervene in disputes and financial matters.He further alleged that proper accounts had not been submitted for the past 18 years and accused the trust of failing to fulfil its stated objectives, including establishing educational institutions and hostels. The association has rejected the trust's plan to submit accounts on April 27 and will instead begin collecting donor details in May, followed by a community meeting in June, Malipatil said.