Koppal officials break locks and retake Anjanadri Hanuman temple offices from chief priest Vidyadas Baba

The Koppal district administration on Wednesday broke open the locks on the offices of the Anjanadri Hill Hanuman temple, revered as the birthplace of Lord Hanumān, and took back control of the premises, The New Indian Express reported. The Hans India said officials opened eight offices that chief priest Vidyadas Baba had locked, removed banners of a trust he had set up and sent out the staff he had appointed.

The team was led by Gangavathi Sub-Divisional Officer Mahboob Jilani and Deputy Superintendent of Police Nyamagouda, with staff from the tahsildar's office. Until October 2018 the temple was run by a trust headed by Vidyadas Baba, but after differences between the trust and the priest, the district administration brought it under the Department of Religious Endowments that month.

The priest went to court, and a bench of the Karnataka High Court presided over by Justice M. Nagaprasanna quashed the 2018 notified order and allowed him to perform pūjā, according to the Hans India. After the ruling, Vidyadas Baba visited the hill on October 8, locked the endowment department's offices inside the temple, sent out the administration's staff and appointed his own, TNIE reported.

During Wednesday's operation he accused the officials of violating the law despite the High Court order and demanded they produce a court order authorising their action, leading to a heated exchange. Officials told him he was permitted to perform worship and was entitled to a room for his stay, but could not take complete control of the temple's administration.

The Assistant Commissioner directed government personnel to manage the temple offices. The Baba and his supporters maintain the hill should come under the trust, while the administration holds that the court order gives him only worship rights and one room.