Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Department orders inquiry into activities of Shivamogga Zilla Brahmana Mahasabha

Shivamogga

The Deputy Registrar (DR) of Cooperative Societies of Shivamogga has ordered an inquiry into the activities of Shivamogga district Brahmana Mahasabha, following complaints alleging encroachment of government land and misuse of funds in managing a goshala (cow-shelter) at Mandenakoppa near Shivamogga.

The inquiry has been ordered following complaints by S.S. Srikanth, a resident of Old Gundappa Shed in Shivamogga, and Vinay S.V., a resident of Sogane village near Shivamogga. Both had sent letters to senior officers of the State Government, including the chief secretary of Karnataka and the deputy commissioner of Shivamogga, among others.

Mr. Nagabhushan C. Kalmane, district registrar and deputy registrar of cooperative societies, on January 22, issued an order appointing Manjunath S., superintendent at the office of assistant registrar of cooperative societies of Shivamogga subdivision, as enquiry officer, who has one month to submit his report.

When The Hindu contacted Mr. Kalmane, the DR, he stated that based on complaints he received, he ordered an inquiry into the alleged irregularities and the misuse of government funds by the Mahasabha.

Unauthorised occupation

The complainants, in their letters, alleged that the Shivamogga Zilla Brahmana Mahasabha had taken up the management of Surabhi Goshala at Mandenakoppa, which is beyond the registered objectivities of the organisation.

As a cow shelter had been established on government land without any lease or formal grant from the Revenue Department, the complainants alleged that the occupation of the land was unauthorised. The Mahasabha had been receiving government aid from the Department of Animal Husbandry under the Punyakoti Dattu Scheme, falsely representing the goshala as a private goshala, though it existed on government land. Furthermore, they alleged that the Mahasabha collected several lakhs of rupees from members and the public and used it for the goshala, which was against the by-laws of the Mahasabha.

Response

The DR sought responses from the Mahasabha regarding the allegations. In its response filed in November 2025, the Mahasabha stated that the cow shelter had been managed by a trust named Go-raksha Nyasa Samiti since 2005. The Mahasabha took over the management of the cow shelter through an agreement with the trust in 2020. “We have taken over the cow shelter with good intentions, and it does not involve any business. In 2020, there were only nine cows, and now the number has increased to 337,” the Mahasabha claimed in its reply to the DR. The Mahasabha also denied the unauthorised takeover of government land, stating that it had obtained permission from the Revenue Department authorities.

Inquiry

“However, the DR, in his inquiry order, stated that the Mahasabha did not furnish any documents to support their claims. Hence, he ordered an inquiry. He instructed the inquiry officer to verify the ownership of the land where the Surabhi Goshala is located.”

The inquiry officer will look into the allegations of misuse of funds collected from the public and the government for building the goshala. He will review account statements, audit reports, bank records, and receipts of the Mahasabha for the financial years from 2020-21 to 2023-24.