Authorities in Raibag taluk, Belagavi carried out a pre-dawn demolition of an illegal ashram in Mekhali village following the arrest and judicial custody of self-styled seer Hathyogi Lokeshwar Swami on charges of abducting and raping a minor girl.
The ashram, known as Ram Mandir Mutt, stood on survey number 225 and was allegedly built by encroaching around 8 acres of government grazing land nearly eight years ago. Despite lacking authorization, the structure had remained functional for years.
Acting swiftly after the arrest, the taluk administration launched an early morning demolition drive, deploying three bulldozers to raze the illegal structure.
The temple attached to the mutt was also dismantled during the operation, which forms part of a wider initiative to clear encroachments on public land and reinforce administrative accountability.
