Fri Mar 14 11:01:04 UTC 2025: ## Karnataka Court Upholds Dalit Sangharsh Samiti Leadership
**Shivamogga, Karnataka, March 14, 2025** – A Bhadravati court has definitively affirmed the legitimacy of the Karnataka Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (DSS) under the leadership of M. Gurumurthy, its convener. This follows a February 10, 2025 ruling dismissing an appeal challenging the committee’s authenticity.
The appeal, filed by Srinivas of Hennur and Sathya of Bhadravati, contested a 2021 trial court judgment that recognized Gurumurthy’s leadership. The higher court’s decision now grants the DSS exclusive rights to the name, allowing them to pursue legal action against any group misusing it.
Gurumurthy, in a press conference, emphasized the court’s confirmation and warned of legal repercussions for those improperly using the DSS name. Advocate S.K. Seetharamu, representing the Samithi, highlighted that the organization was registered in 1975 and that Gurumurthy and other office-bearers have maintained proper records and submitted audit reports since assuming their positions in 2004. The dispute originally arose in 2009 over the list of office-bearers and proceeded to court in 2012. The recent ruling definitively ends the long-standing legal battle.
First Piper 