Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, the chief pontiff of Sri Murugha Mutt, has been sent to judicial custody till 14 September by a district court in Chitradurga. The seer is accused of sexually assaulting two minor students aged 15 and 16 years who were residing at the institution.
Earlier on Friday, 2 September, the 64-year-old seer was remanded to police custody till 5 September by a local court. The chief pontiff had undergone various medical tests at the Chitradurga district hospital on Saturday, sources told PTI.
Sources said his blood and hair samples were also taken for investigation purposes. The police brought him to the district hospital under tight security from a deputy superintendent of police's office where he was being questioned.
Background
The seer had been sent to one-day judicial custody on 1 September, and was meant to be presented in court on 2 September morning for extension of custody. However, he was admitted to a government hospital in Chitradurga after he complained of chest pain and was not produced in court.
The additional district and sessions judge, however, refused to accept the physicians’ opinion recommending hospitalisation without any documents pertaining to the seer’s medical condition, and directed that the seer be presented in court.
Sharanaru has been booked under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for sexually abusing two girls. The two girls were studying in a school run by the mutt and staying in a hostel also belonging to the mutt. Meanwhile, protests have been held in various parts of the state by various groups demanding stringent action against the pontiff.
Meanwhile, the head of Mysuru NGO Odanadi Seva Samsthe which was approached by the two girls, wrote to the police seeking protection. In a letter to Mysuru Commissioner Dr Chandragupta, founder director of Odanadi Stanly KA wrote that devotees and supporters of the mutt have called the NGO several times and expressed their displeasure at Shivamurthy’s arrest. The letter asks for police protection for Stanly as well as Parashuram ML, the founder-president of Odanadi, and their families, fearing threat to their lives.
(Published in arrangement with The News Minute.)
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