Karnataka: SC cancels Muruga mutt seer's bail in POCSO case

The court while hearing a petition filed in the case said that Shivamurthy Sharanaru should be kept in judicial custody until the hearing of the witnesses in the case is over.

The Supreme Court directed the Chitradurga court to complete the trial within four months and said that if more time is required for the trial, the court should be informed.

In November last year, the Karnataka high court had granted bail to the Murugha Mutt Lingayat seer, who was in jail for 14 months after being accused of sexually abusing two girls, who used to stay in the mutt’s hostels. The bail had been granted to Sharanaru on several conditions, including that the seer execute two bonds of a sum of ₹2 lakh, refrain from witness tampering, and stay away from Chitradurga district until the conclusion of the trial.

Sharanaru was booked under provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Juvenile Justice Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act.

On August 26, 2022, two minor girls filed a complaint at the Nazarabad police station in Mysuru alleging sexual harassment at the Lingayat mutt of Chitradurga in Karnataka. The case was transferred to Chitradurga. Subsequently, the police registered an FIR against five accused in the case - Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, Rashmi (warden of Muruga mutt), Paramashivaiah (secretary of the mutt), a junior pontiff and Gangadariah (advocate of the mutt).

The minor girls complained that they were allegedly sent to clean Sharanaru's private room where the accused would give them a chocolate or an apple laced with drugs. After they lost consciousness, the seer would allegedly abuse them.

Muruga was arrested on September 1, 2022 under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act).