A Karnataka court on Thursday, September 1, adjourned hearing in the anticipatory bail plea filed by Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, the chief pontiff of the jagadguru Murugha Mutt in Chitradurga. The public prosecutor sought more time from the court to file objections to the pre-arrest bail plea filed by the seer. The court adjourned the hearing to Friday, September 2.
The prominent Lingayat seer is facing charges of sexually assaulting two minor students who were staying at the residential hostel facility at the Murugha mutt in Chitradurga. A case has been registered against five persons for colluding in the case of sexual assault, including the hostel warden and junior pontiff.
The two students, aged 15 and 16, had told the police that the seer sexually assaulted one of them over for 3.5 years, and the other for the past 1.5 years. The survivors have said that they were lured to Shivakumar’s chambers on some pretext, which is when he would allegedly sexually assault them.
The Karnataka Police had on Tuesday this week produced the two minor survivors before the Chitradurga District and Session's court to record their statements in connection with the sexual assault case. The minors deposed before the magistrate for five hours.
Chitradurga SP Parashuram was questioned by the National Commission for Protection of Children's Rights (NCPCR) and the State Commission for Children regarding action initiated against Shivamurthy. The NCPCR has sought answers for 9 questions from the SP over the sexual assault case and asked him to submit report within seven days. The NCPCR and State Commission for Children has taken up the suo motu case in this connection.
A few days ago, the accused seer addressed the media and said that he was cooperating with the police and was not running away. He also expressed confidence that he was going to be cleared of all charges. The seer spoke to the media after he was stopped by the Chitradurga police in Bankapura in Karnataka, while he was on his way to Maharashtra, and was asked to return to Chitradurga. He later moved court with an anticipatory bail plea.
Shivakumar Sharanaru is an influential spiritual leader among the Lingayat community, and with elections in Karnataka due in 2023, leaders have been trying to woo the community. Last month, the seer was visited by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on whom he conferred the ‘Ishtalinga Deekshe.’