CHITRADURGA / BENGALURU: The pontiff of Murugha Mutt in Chitradurga, Shivamurthy Swami, was arrested late Thursday amid public outrage nearly a week after he was accused of sexually assaulting two minor high school girls in a hostel run by his monastery.
The 64-year-old seer, booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012, and Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), was arrested at 10.20pm from his mutt by Chitradurga police. The arrest came following a growing clamour and protests by Dalit organisations. One of the two survivors is from the Schedule Caste community.
Police said Shivamurthy Swami was taken for a medical test at the district hospital before arresting him. Confirming the pontiff’s arrest, ADGP Alok Kumar said the pontiff will be produced before a judge in Chitradurga late in the night.
Some of Shivamurthy Swami’s aides said he was not arrested, but he surrendered before police. The pontiff had applied for anticipatory bail in a Karnataka court on Monday.
Earlier, the investigation police officers detained Murugha Mutt hostel warden, identified as Rashmi, for interrogation in the case. The woman, the second accused in the case, appeared before the court, and her statements were recorded under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the presence of a judge.
Junior seer, mutt secy & advocate absconding
Later, police took her into custody. Chitradurga SP K Parashuram said Rashmi is being interrogated. However, three other accused in the case – junior seer Basavaditya, mutt secretary Paramasivayya, and advocate Gangadharayya – are absconding, police said.
On August 26, Shivamurthy Swami and four others were booked under Pocso Act and IPC section 376 for rape at Nazarbad police station in Mysuru. The case was later transferred to Chitradurga police.
It is alleged that the girls, aged 15 and 16, studying in a school run by the mutt and residing in a hostel also run by the monastery, were sexually abused between January 2019 and June 2022.
District police invoked the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (Act) against the pontiff as one victim is from the SC community.
The 64-year-old seer, booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012, and Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), was arrested at 10.20pm from his mutt by Chitradurga police. The arrest came following a growing clamour and protests by Dalit organisations. One of the two survivors is from the Schedule Caste community.
Police said Shivamurthy Swami was taken for a medical test at the district hospital before arresting him. Confirming the pontiff’s arrest, ADGP Alok Kumar said the pontiff will be produced before a judge in Chitradurga late in the night.
Some of Shivamurthy Swami’s aides said he was not arrested, but he surrendered before police. The pontiff had applied for anticipatory bail in a Karnataka court on Monday.
Earlier, the investigation police officers detained Murugha Mutt hostel warden, identified as Rashmi, for interrogation in the case. The woman, the second accused in the case, appeared before the court, and her statements were recorded under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the presence of a judge.
Junior seer, mutt secy & advocate absconding
Later, police took her into custody. Chitradurga SP K Parashuram said Rashmi is being interrogated. However, three other accused in the case – junior seer Basavaditya, mutt secretary Paramasivayya, and advocate Gangadharayya – are absconding, police said.
On August 26, Shivamurthy Swami and four others were booked under Pocso Act and IPC section 376 for rape at Nazarbad police station in Mysuru. The case was later transferred to Chitradurga police.
It is alleged that the girls, aged 15 and 16, studying in a school run by the mutt and residing in a hostel also run by the monastery, were sexually abused between January 2019 and June 2022.
District police invoked the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (Act) against the pontiff as one victim is from the SC community.