The inquiry officer of the Department of Cooperation, who probed allegations against the Shivamogga District Brahmin Mahasabha, has submitted a report stating that the Sabha’s office-bearers spent funds in violation of its by-law, and that the amount can be recovered from members of the executive committee.
Following complaints by S.S. Srikanth of Shivamogga and Vinay S.V. of Sogane village near Shivamogga, Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Shivamogga, Nagabhushan C. Kalmane, ordered an inquiry into the Mahasabha’s activities on January 22 this year, under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960. Manjunath S., superintendent at the office of the Assistant Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Shivamogga sub-division, was appointed inquiry officer.
The complainants had alleged that the Mahasabha had taken up the management of Surabha Goshala at Mandenakoppa near Shivamogga, an activity not covered by the organisation’s registered objectives. They also alleged that the cow shelter had been established on government land without any formal lease or grant from the Revenue Department, and that the Mahasabha had collected substantial sums from members and the public and spent them on the goshala, in violation of its by-laws.
The inquiry officer submitted his report on September 21, after verifying the documents furnished by the complainants and seeking explanations from the Mahasabha’s office-bearers.
The report stated that the executive committee for 2016-21 violated the by-law by signing a memorandum of understanding with the Go Rakshana Nyasa Samiti of Mattur-Hosahalli to manage the goshala, without confirming the ownership of the land on which the goshala stands. The land, it noted, belongs to the government. The Mahasabha paid an annual rent of ₹72,000 to the Samiti although the land’s khata was not in the Samiti’s name. This amount can be recovered from the office-bearers of the executive committee, the report said.
The report further noted that the committee in office between 2016 and 2021 spent ₹50.36 lakh on constructing buildings at the go-shala, while the committee for 2021-26 spent another ₹64.14 lakh, raised from the public and other organisations. Terming the expenditure a misuse of funds, the inquiry officer held that the office-bearers had caused loss to the Mahasabha.
The inquiry officer observed that, though managing a goshala deserved appreciation, it was inappropriate to spend money raised from the public on land that did not belong to the organisation. The Mahasabha received ₹24.13 lakh as aid from the government to run the goshala and raised ₹1.62 crore from the public and organisations for the activity, the report mentioned.
Mr. Vinay, one of the complainants, told The Hindu that he was happy with the findings. “The report has confirmed our allegations. It has been submitted to the Deputy Registrar, who can initiate recovery proceedings and the appointment of an administrator. We will soon approach the officer to seek a recommendation for appointing an administrator, which has to be decided by the State Cabinet,” he said.
Published – October 02, 2026 08:53 pm IST
