Karnataka: Lingayat seer accused of sexually harassing minor girls acquitted

Bengaluru: Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, the seer of Chitradurga's Sri Murugha Mutt, who was accused of raping minor girls who were staying in the mutt, has been accused in two cases. A Karnataka sessions court acquitted him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act or POCSO on Wednesday.

Seer was taken in custody in August 2022

A Lingayat seer, Sharanaru comes from a very powerful mutt in the state. He was taken in custody after two girls, in August 2022, who were studying at a school run by the mutt, made allegations against him before an NGO. It was after this that the NGO brought allegations to the notice of the children's welfare committee in the district.

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Case initially filed in Mysuru police station

Since the allegations came to light, a case was filed on August 26, 2022 at the Nazarbad Police Station in Mysuru. The case was later transferred to Chitradurga. After the case was filed, the seer was arrested on September 1, the same day. After the seer spent 14 months in jail, the seer was released on bail in November 2023. He was taken in custody in the same month in another case.

‘Allegations were fake’

During the hearing, the defence counsel argued that the allegations were false. It claimed that allegations were made due to internal disputes within the Matha. The prosecution, on the other hand, maintained that the charges against the seer were serious in nature.

Medical examinations contradicted the statements of the girls

However, the Supreme Court cancelled the bail order of the seer and asked him to surrender. The medical examinations of the girls contradicted their statement that they were raped for three years.