Udupi: Case registered against Bale Kudru seer and four others over alleged theft and sale of ancient idols

Udupi: Case registered against Bale Kudru seer and four others over alleged theft and sale of ancient idols

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Nov 6, 2026: A case has been registered against the seer of Bale Kudru Math in Brahmavar taluk and four others over allegations of stealing and selling ancient idols from the Math.

The case was registered at the Basaveshwaranagar Police Station in Bengaluru following a complaint by Jagadish Aithal, a disciple of the Math. The accused include Vasudeva Sadashivashrama Swamiji, Math administrator Anil Kumar Madhyastha, staff members Jayalakshmi and Shreyas, and shop owner Nagendra Prasad.

Following the registration of the case, allegations have emerged that the seer and the Math staff locked the premises and went missing. The Math has reportedly remained locked since Wednesday night, triggering anger among local residents and devotees who gathered there to express their protest.

Devotees alleged that daily rituals and three-time worship of the deity had come to a halt. Although some people, reportedly from another Math, performed puja on Thursday morning, devotees claimed that it was not conducted according to the traditional practices of Bale Kudru Math. Local devotees were also reportedly unable to enter the premises.

Allegations of the seer’s disappearance

Pritam Adiga, a disciple of the Math, alleged that a person claiming to be a sanyasi had been staying at the Math for the past two years, but local devotees had never accepted him as the seer.

He also referred to the recent circulation of alleged obscene audio conversations attributed to the seer. Those supporting the seer had claimed that the audio clips were fabricated using artificial intelligence (AI), he said.

Despite protests by villagers, the seer had refused to leave the Math. Pritam alleged that several irregularities were now coming to light.

Suresh Adiga, a member of the Math Protection Committee, said the seer, administrator and staff had left the premises after the FIR was registered in Bengaluru, leaving the Math locked and disrupting daily worship.

What does the complaint allege?

According to the complaint, Vasudeva Sadashivashrama had been residing at Bale Kudru Math without authorisation since 2024.

It is alleged that four ancient idols used for daily worship were stolen in 2025 through a conspiracy involving the seer, the Math administrator and staff members, and sold to Nagendra Prasad, owner of a shop named ’Idols’ in Basaveshwaranagar, Bengaluru.

The idols reportedly include a Vallabha Ganapathi idol and a Shakti Ganapathi idol dating back to the 6th–7th centuries, a Lakshmi Narasimha idol from the Vijayanagara period, and a Mahishamardini Devi idol dating back to the 12th century.

The complaint further alleges that replicas of the original idols were subsequently made through the same shop and placed in the Math for worship. This was allegedly done to deceive devotees and hurt their religious sentiments.

The complainant has sought a comprehensive investigation into the alleged theft and sale of the idols, including the role of those who received them for illegal financial gain.

Pritam Adiga has also demanded an investigation into the present whereabouts of the original idols, the total number of ancient idols in the Math, and whether the case has any links to an international antique smuggling network. He has urged the authorities to take appropriate legal action against those found guilty.