BELAGAVI: Pontiff Basavasiddalinga Swamiji, 50, of a mutt in Karnataka‘s Belagavi was found hanging in a seminary room on Monday. Police said a note was found in which he said he had not made a mistake. He was disturbed after a purported audio clip of sexual abuse surfaced.
Sources said Swamiji was deeply disturbed after a purported audio clip between two women accusing him of alleged sexual abuse surfaced on social media. Basavasiddalinga was a close associate of Shivamurthy Sharanaru, the chief pontiff of Chitradurga‘s Murugha Mutt arrested last week under the Pocso Act for alleged sexual abuse of two minor girls at a hostel run by his seminary.
Basavasiddalinga had spoken to disciples on Sunday night at the Gurumadiwaleshwar mutt in Bailhongal’s Neginhal about the clip.
Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Patil said the suicide note said: “Nobody is responsible for my death, and nobody should be questioned either about my death … Disciples of mutt and committee members take the mutt forward.”
Basavasiddalinga’s disciples staged a protest demanding the arrest of the two women in the purported clip. They refused to conduct his last rites until the duo were held, relenting only after the SP promised to have the audio clip probed. Basavasiddalinga’s funeral will take place on Tuesday.
Sources said Swamiji was deeply disturbed after a purported audio clip between two women accusing him of alleged sexual abuse surfaced on social media. Basavasiddalinga was a close associate of Shivamurthy Sharanaru, the chief pontiff of Chitradurga‘s Murugha Mutt arrested last week under the Pocso Act for alleged sexual abuse of two minor girls at a hostel run by his seminary.
Basavasiddalinga had spoken to disciples on Sunday night at the Gurumadiwaleshwar mutt in Bailhongal’s Neginhal about the clip.
Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Patil said the suicide note said: “Nobody is responsible for my death, and nobody should be questioned either about my death … Disciples of mutt and committee members take the mutt forward.”
Basavasiddalinga’s disciples staged a protest demanding the arrest of the two women in the purported clip. They refused to conduct his last rites until the duo were held, relenting only after the SP promised to have the audio clip probed. Basavasiddalinga’s funeral will take place on Tuesday.