BELAGAVI:  Guru Madivaleshwara Mutt Pontiff Basava Siddalinga Swamiji killed himself by hanging himself in his room in the Neginahala village of Karnataka's Belagavi district on Sunday after allegedly feeling hurt that his name had been linked to a sex scandal involving Chitradurga Murugha mutt seer.

On social media, an audio tape purportedly featuring two women talking about how women and girls were exploited at the Chitradurga mutt went viral.  The police sources said, the two women mentioned the late Basava Siddalinga Swamiji throughout the conversation, which impugned his honour and reputation.

The seer, who took his own life, was upset by the situation, and followers of the mutt complained to the deputy superintendent of police in the Belagavi area about entrenched interests that were harassing Lingayat pontiffs.

the police said, Basava Siddalinga Swamiji spoke with followers until late on Sunday night. In the claimed tape, his allusion was made in a derogatory manner, and he expressed his pain to his followers by saying that he no longer felt like living.

The incident came to light on Monday morning. Police stated that they were searching for the swamiji's death note and that the precise reason for his suicide was still under investigation. Additional research is being done.

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