Karnataka's Murugha mutt seer, who had blessed RaGa, arrested in sexual assault case

Bengaluru, September 02: After NCPCR took cognisance of the matter, the Karnataka Police arrested Influential Lingayat mutt chief Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor students. As per the reports, he has been set into 14 days of judicial custody.

 

 

Chitradurga SP Parashrama K, gave the information about the Mutt Chief's arrest. As per him, the pontiff was taken into custody from the mutt around 10 pm. He was taken to the Deputy SP’s office. "We have arrested the seer and procedures will follow. He is being questioned now," he said.

 

Earlier Thursday, the pontiff had applied for anticipatory bail, and a sessions court had adjourned the hearing to Friday.

 

On Tuesday, the two survivors recorded their statement in a district and sessions’ court in Chitradurga. The statements were recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before the judge in confidential proceedings.

 

 

 

On August 26, the Mysuru police lodged a complaint against Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru under the POCSO Act and IPC section 376 relating to rape. The girl complainants had told members of the state Child Welfare Committee (CWC) that they were sexually assaulted between January 2019 and June 2022. The case was later transferred to the Chitradurga police.

 

The complaint in the case was filed by Chandrakumar C of the Mysuru district child protection unit, based on statements of the two girls. The case was registered after the victims reached Mysuru and approached an NGO that works for human trafficking victims.

 

The FIR stated that the girls were counselled after which they said that they had been sexually abused. Later, the NGO approached the CWC, leading to the police complaint.