Supreme Court declines Mahesh Shetty Thimarody’s plea against externment order

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Jul 14, 2026: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Dharmasthala activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarody challenging an externment order issued against him, directing him to pursue the statutory legal remedy available under the law.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran observed that the Karnataka High Court had already rejected his plea and questioned why he had approached the Supreme Court directly instead of filing an appeal before the competent appellate authority.

During the hearing, Thimarody’s counsel attempted to link the externment proceedings with the Soujanya case, alleging that individuals associated with the Dharmasthala temple were targeting the activist.

The apex court, however, declined to entertain the argument, stating that unrelated issues should not be invoked to create or fuel public sentiment.

The bench clarified that if Thimarody remained aggrieved by the externment order, he was free to challenge it before the appropriate appellate authority as provided under law.

Dismissing the petition without granting any relief, the court also cautioned against filing speculative petitions, remarking, "Do not gamble in this court. Once a bet is placed, it is done. Do not gamble in this court."

Thimarody had earlier filed a complaint before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) at its Belthangady office in 2025, seeking a probe into four unnatural deaths reported in different lodges in Dharmasthala village between 2006 and 2010. He alleged that the deaths could have been murders and called for a detailed investigation.

The SIT, however, later concluded that there was no substance to the allegations.