Chitradurga Murugha Mutt seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, who is facing charges of sexually abusing minor girls in the hostel run by his mutt, moved an application in a local court seeking anticipatory bail on Monday while the Child Welfare Committee members conducted a spot mahazar in the mutt along with the girl victims.
The application moved by the seer’s advocates is scheduled to be taken up for hearing on September 1. It may be noted that a case under POCSO Act has been filed against the seer in Mysuru which has been transferred to Chitradurga police for investigation.
Meanwhile, the CWC members took the two aggrieved girls along with police security to the mutt for mahazar of the place where the alleged sexual harassment took place. According to sources, they were taken to the room of the seer, and details of the incident were collected. There was some commotion as the devotees were asked to leave the mutt during the mahazar and the procedure was conducted, sources said.
Earlier, there was high drama as absence of the seer in the mutt had given raise to speculations that he had been detained by the police. However, the seer returned to the mutt by afternoon to clarify that he had not been arrested.
Addressing devotees and media persons on the mutt premises, the seer said there was no question of escaping from the episode. “I am among those seers who believe in the law of the land and respect it. I will extend all cooperation. There will not be any escapism,” he said.
“We are in a place of justice and Murugha Mutt has once upon a time served as 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 said
The seer also thanked the devotees, who have been rushing to the mutt in thousands. “Your arrival has given me more courage and strength. I also thank those who are responsible for this show of love and affection. This development has rekindled the pride towards the mutt among the devotees,” he said.
“This is not the first item that such developments have taken place. For the last 15 years, such conspiracies have been happening within the mutt and now it has come out and it is time to face the tough times together involving members of all communities in an intelligent manner. There will be a logical end to every issue,” he said.
Earlier in the day, a member of the Mutt’s Advisory Committee had told media persons that the seer had gone to meet an advocate in Haveri and would return by afternoon. However, there were divergent versions about the development, with police sources saying that the seer was prevented from continuing his travel reportedly towards Maharashtra and that he was escorted back to the mutt.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Jayashree Channal, met the aggrieved girls at the Balamandir in Chitradurga and collected details from them. According to sources, the meeting lasted for about two hours.
