Finally, cops hand over Shiroor ‘moola mutt’ to Sode Mutt

Udupi, Aug 28: Finally, the Udupi district police have handed over the ‘moola mutt’ of Shiroor Mutt at Shiroor village, about 22 km from here, to the representatives of the Sode Mutt.

The ‘moola mutt’ was under the police custody since the death of Lakshmivara Tirtha Swami of Shiroor Mutt on July 19, 2018. The police had collected several items from the ‘moola mutt’ during of the investigation.

The Shiroor seer died at Kasturba Hospital in Manipal on July 19, 2018. The press statement issued by the hospital had said that that there was “suspicion of poisoning” and the toxicological samples had been sent for testing.

The district police received the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report last week and it said that there were no traces of poison of any kinsd or heavy metals were found in the seer’s body. The police sent the FSL report to Kasturba Hospital for a final opinion on the cause of the Shiroor seer’s death.

Sources in the Sode Mutt confirmed that the date of the ‘Aradhane’ ceremony of the deceased Shiroor seer will be fixed soon. The Sode Mutt is in charge of the Shiroor Mutt, since the death of the Shiroor seer, as per the Dwandwa Mutt system being followed by the Ashta Mutts or eight mutts of Udupi.