The Supreme Court on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) did not intervene with a Kerala High Court decision of August 2026 which allowed Kashi Matadhipati Swami Samyamindra Tirtha to continue the execution proceedings for recovery of gold, silver ornaments and paraphernalia belonging to the Kashi Math Samsthan from Raghavendra Tirtha Swami.
Raghavendra Tirtha moved a Tirupati district court for a declaration that he was the 21st Matadhipati. Sudhindra Tirtha had resisted the suit, countering that the former had never succeeded to the office of Matadhipati. Once the case started in Keralam, the State High Court had allowed a request from the then Matadhipati for police assistance in the execution of the decree. Raghavendra Tirtha opposed Samyamindra Tirtha’s claim, saying the latter had to approach the Tirupati court, which passed the decree, with his claim of succession as Matadhipati and plea for substitution as decree-holder. Following which, Raghavendra Tirtha had moved the apex court, though unsuccessfully.
At one point, the CBI was tasked to investigate the case regarding the Samsthan’s valuables, including 234 ornaments, silver articles and 27 idols, alleged to be in the possession of Raghavendra Tirtha. Though the Ernakulam court accepted Raghavendra Tirtha’s argument in April 2019, the Kerala High Court set it aside on August 3, 2026.
In 2009, the Tirupati court decreed in favour of Sudhindra Tirtha, and ordered his former disciple to personally hand over to his Guru “all deities, religious articles and other properties of the Samsthan”.
Sudhindra Tirtha subsequently initiated proceedings to execute the decree. The case was shifted to an Ernakulam court in Keralam for execution proceedings.
