Chikkamagaluru: A complaint has been filed against a priest who runs a temple near NR Pura for allegedly practising inhuman rituals, extorting money from women devotees and issuing death threats to villagers who questioned him.The FIR was registered at Narasimharajapura police station on Sunday based on a complaint filed by Dharma Naik, 58, a farmer from Nagaramakki in Seethur village.According to the complaint, Satish Patri, 48, a resident of Banavadi in Koppa taluk, had built a Panjurli and Kalkuda Daivasthana at Mekanahadlu in Seethur village about 17 years ago on his relative Padmavathi’s land.For the last five years, Patri has allegedly been calling women from different towns to the temple on the pretext of exorcism, extorting money from them and threatening that he would destroy their families by performing black magic, the complaint states.It is further alleged that he would force women devotees to drink chicken blood as part of a ritual and had uploaded videos of such acts on social media.“Villagers had questioned Patri and warned him that his actions were tarnishing the village’s reputation, but he allegedly continued,” police said.On Aug 20 at around 12 noon, when complainant Dharma Naik went to Mekanahadlu to question him, Patri allegedly abused him with foul language and threatened to kill him if he interfered again, police said.According to SP Jitendra Kumar Dayama, based on the complaint, a case has been registered for inhuman superstitious practice, abuse and criminal intimidation, and investigation is under way.
