Bulldozers raze illegal ashram of arrested self-styled seer
Belagavi: In a swift and decisive action, the Raibag taluk administration in Belagavi district demolished the illegal ashram of self-proclaimed godman Hata yogi Lokeshwar Swami following his arrest on charges of kidnapping and raping a minor girl. The demolition was carried out in the early hours of Friday morning under tight security.
The controversial ashram, referred to as the 'Ram Mandir Mutt', was constructed illegally on Survey No. 225 in Mekhli village, where Swami had encroached on eight acres of gomala (grazing) land belonging to the government. Complaints regarding the illegal occupation had surfaced earlier, prompting an official inquiry. Based on the findings, the Raibag Tehsildar issued a notice last week instructing the Swami to vacate the encroached land. However, with Lokeshwar Swami being remanded to judicial custody following his arrest, the administration moved swiftly to carry out the demolition.
The operation, conducted before dawn, was led by Tehsildar Suresh Munje and involved three JCB machines (bulldozers) that razed the entire mutt structure, including the associated temple complex. Officials confirmed that the entire unauthorized construction was demolished without resistance, and the land has been reclaimed by the government. Lokeshwar Swami, who had been projecting himself as a religious guru for nearly a decade, was arrested on serious charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He is accused of kidnapping and raping a minor girl, a case that has sent shockwaves through the region.
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