Rape-accused Lingayat seer seeks pre-arrest bail as cops detain hostel warden | Top points
India Today
Rape-accused Lingayat seer. Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, has sought pre-arrest bail as Karnataka cops detained the mutt hostel warden in the sexual assault case. Here are the top points.
Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, the chief pontiff of Jagadguru Murugarajendra Vidyapeetha mutt in Karnataka's Chitradurga was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) for allegedly sexually assaulting minor girls.
The case against the Lingayat seer was first registered by a child welfare committee in Mysuru on August 26, on behalf of the minor girls who left the mutt hostel in July. The case was later transferred to Chitradurga where the mutt is located.
The Lingayat seer was in the news on August 29 after reports of his detention. However, a mutt official clarified that was not the case and the seer had gone to Haveri to meet an advocate. The seer addressed a gathering on his return to math and said there is no need to fear. On the same day, the seer moved a district court seeking anticipatory bail.
READ | No need to fear, says rape-accused Lingayat seer Shivamurthy
Over the last three days, protests have intensified in Chitradurga calling for strict action and arrest of the seer accused of sexually assaulting minor girls.
On Thursday, police detained the mutt hostel warden, Rashmi, in connection with the rape case and sources claimed that the seer will be questioned soon.
1) Protests erupted in Chitradurga on August 29 over police inaction in the case even after medical tests of the minor girls were completed. The protesters demanded strict action against Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, who was back at the mutt. Some activists approached the Karnataka Governor demanding an impartial probe by a committee headed by a high court judge.
