Murugha Mutt seer booked for sexual harassment under POCSO

Mysuru: Sri Jagadguru urugarajendra(SJM) mutt pontiff Dr Shivamurthy muruga Sharana was booked under POCSO at Nazarbad station on Saturday.The case booked following complaint by two girl students studying in tenth standard in Chitradurga run by mutt alleged sexual harassment by pontiff. The minor girls alleged that warden of the hostel is sending girls to Pontiff's room alone with fruits for blessingsand pontiff misbehaves them. Even the mutt hostel authorities are giving sedation drug to girls and pontiff allegedly rapes them.

Unable to bear the torture the girls fled to Bengaluru and an auto driver took girls to the Cottonpet police station but police refused to book case. Then the girls came to Mysuru and met Odanadi organisation, an NGO striving for children and women protection. The Odanadi officials brought children to district child welfare committee (CWC) where the members counselled the girls and confirmed the sexual harassment by pontiff.

Following a complaint by Chandrakumar, legal -cum probation officer of district child protection unit, Mysuru, late on Friday night at 10.30 pm, police registered the FIR against Murugha Mutt seer Dr Shivamurthy Murugha Sharana as the prime accused, along with hostel warden Rashmi, junior pontiff Basavaditya, leader Paramashivaiah and advocate Gangadharaiah. In his complaint, Chandrakumar has alleged that "Shivamurthy Murugha Sharana was sexually harassing two girls of class 10 aged 16 years and 15 years for the past three-and-a-half years and two- and-a-half years respectively. The other accused in the case were assisting the prime accused".

The victims narrated the afore mentioned ordeal when they were produced before child welfare Committee and were subjected to counselling. The CWC directed the district child protection officer to take a suitable action. Acting on the instructions of child protection officer, Chandrakumar lodged the complaint at Nazarbad police station. The case has been booked under POCSO Act 2012, IPC sections 376 (2 and 3) and 149. Counter complaint by accused : Close on the heels of a FIR filed

against Murugha Mutt Seer under POCSO, a case of sexual harassment and kidnap booked against the administrative officer of the Mutt. The hostel warden who is second accused in POCSO case has filed the complaint at Chitradurga rural police station, naming not just herself as the victim but two other girl students.

police have filed the FIR against S K Basavarajan, former MLA the administrative Officer of mutt and Secretary of SJM Vidyapeeth and his wife Sowbhagya Basavarajan. According to the FIR, recently on July 27, the prime accused had summoned the complainant to the hostel at around 6 PM. He allegedly groped her and restrained from going outside, besides touching her body and trying to sexually assault her.

When the complainant resisted, the accused, by the virtue of being a former MLA and administrative officer of the Mutt and secretary of Vidyapeeth promised a plum post, if she cooperated with him. The complaint alleged that Basavarajan couple went to Bangalore and brought back twovictims and kept at their residence for two days before filing complaint in Mysuru. Basavarajan couple booked under IPC sections-341, 342, 363, 120 (B), 354A, 504, 506 and 34. Nazarbad police transfererd FIR to Chitradurga rural police station and investigation is on.