A seer of Brihan mutt along with four others, one of them a junior seer, were booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual offenses Act, 2012 by the Chitradurga Police on Saturday.
The developments came into action after two minor, high-school girls who stay in a hostel run by the mutt reported the crime to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Mysuru.
A medical examination was conducted for the minor girls whereas, the seer’s medical test is awaited.
The two girls first entrusted the story to Odanadi Seva Samsthe, an organization run for the welfare of women. In the past, the organization had busted an illegal flesh trade business with the help of the local police. Moreover, the media had widely covered the event.
According to the organization’s director, L Parashuram, they had taken the matter forward to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
While undergoing therapy, the girls narrated the horrid details of the crime allegedly perpetrated by the accused. The CWC then took the report forward to Nazarbad Police station, Mysuru. As the incident occurred in Chitradurga, the case was transferred to the Chitradurga police station following a zero FIR against the five accused.
The seer, Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, defended himself by saying, “I (Seer) Have not done anything wrong and I will fight back.”
Moreover, the Chitradurga police, after registering the FIR, gained knowledge of the seer leaving the mutt at an unknown place on August 29. Thereafter, they passed the information to the Haveri police, who stopped his vehicle.
Bruhan Mutt, Chitradurga
Speculations state that the seer was trying to escape law and order. However, the seer claimed, “I am among those seers who believe in the law of the land and respect it. I will extend all cooperation. There is no intention of evading the law.”
“We are in a place of justice and Murugha mutt, once upon a time, served as a ‘mobile court’. The mutt has taken care of members of all castes and communities, including students, with love and affection. There is an untoward development now and an unhealthy situation, But I am confident that I will come out of it,” he added.
Furthermore, there were reports of the seer being arrested in Hubballi but it was later cleared up by the Additional Director General of Police, Alok Kumar.
A member of the mutt’s Advisory Committee, Anandappa, had suggested that the time the seer went missing on the morning of August 29, he had gone to meet a legal officer in Haveri and was planning to return by the afternoon.
In contrast to his narrative, the Haveri police stated that the seer was intercepted on the way to Maharashtra and was guided back to the mutt.
Additionally, several followers of the seer blamed the recent happenings on the administrator of the mutt. They argue that the seer and the administrator had bad blood over the administrative powers of the mutt.
To support their claims, they argue that after coming back from a break, the administrator, Mr. Basavarajan, was expecting a complete takeover of power, but these were met with several hindrances. Besides, even though the seer had worked in close contact to multiple women during the course of welfare programs, no such complaint had ever been brought up, he added.
Meanwhile, several women’s organizations like Akhila Bharata Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane and All India Mahila Samskrutika Sanghatane have demanded a thorough inquiry into the matter without the presence of political pressure as the mutt enjoys social and political stature.
