Chitradurga: The hearing of the bail petition submitted by Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Sharanaru, booked in a POCSO case, has been postponed to September 1 by Chitradurga District sessions court.
Clamour is rising for legal action against the seer associated with Murugha Mutt, while Odanadi — the NGO which had brought the alleged scandal out, has cried foul play with the handling of the case by police.
Meanwhile, the Chitradurga Rural Police investigating the case have conducted the mahajar of the hostel by taking the ‘victims’ to the spot in the mutt.
The accused seer, who issued a statement for the first time after the incident came to light, stated that he would cooperate fully with the investigating agencies and not escape from the situation.
According to sources, the accused seer tried to move to an undisclosed location on Monday. The police stopped him near Bankapura Check Post and sent him to Murugha Mutt in Chitradurga, advising him to stay there.
Karnataka police have lodged a POCSO case against the Lingayat seer following a complaint by two minor girls through the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Mysuru-based Odanaadi had approached CWC seeking protection of the girl students and legal action against the “powerful” seer.
According to police, the ‘victim’ students, who stayed at the residential facility of the mutt, were sent to the seer’s room on one or the other pretext. “There, the girls were given food or drink laced with drugs, and seer would allegedly sexually exploit them.”
The victims have explained that there are many more girls at the mutt who were sexually exploited. Considering the clout and political influence of the accused seer, the girls have come down to Mysuru and approached Odanadi NGO for assistance.
