Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, the previous pontiff of a distinguished mutt in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district and accused of sexually assaulting at the very least 4 women, would rape minors after giving them apples laced with sedatives, senior cops mentioned on Tuesday.
Sharanaru (64), the previous pontiff of Jagadguru Murugarajendra Vidyapeetha Mutt in Chitradurga, was arrested on September 1 following a case registered in opposition to him beneath the Safety of Kids from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act on August 27 for allegedly sexually harassing two minor women learning in a highschool run by the mutt. The case was registered on the premise of a criticism filed by the 2 minors. On October 19, police registered one other case beneath the Pocso Act in opposition to the seer on the complaints of two extra women.
On October 27, the investigation workforce submitted a 694-page cost sheet earlier than the district’s second further and classes court docket within the first case registered on August 27 and named the seer and two extra accused in it. Investigations are underway within the different case in opposition to the seer, cops mentioned.
“The Akka Mahadevi hostel (run by the mutt) warden, Rashmi, was sending minor youngsters to the seer’s room after 8pm, the place he touched the minors inappropriately,” mentioned Chitradurga superintendent of police Ok Parashuram, who supervised the investigation, whereas giving particulars concerning the cost sheet. “At any time when the kids resisted, Sharanaru gave them apples laced with sedatives and allegedly raped them.”
“He threatened them to not disclose this (the incident) to anybody and even posed life threats.”
HT has not seen a replica of the cost sheet.
Projecting himself as an incarnation of God, the seer used to threaten to curse the kids in the event that they refused to serve him, the SP mentioned. “He informed them that his curse will destroy them and their households.”
The officer additional mentioned that the accused seer typically focused orphan youngsters and people whose households have been being helped financially by the mutt, which is among the many most influential spiritual centres for the influential Lingayat neighborhood, believed to be the only largest caste group (round 17%) in Karnataka. “The guardians/mother and father of the victims have been informed to serve Sharanaru nicely and so they have been unaware of the heinous act,” the SP mentioned.
Although the cost sheet was submitted within the court docket on October 27, police had then refused to disclose any particulars from it.
One other senior police officer, asking to not be named, mentioned the “seer might have sexually exploited at the very least 10-15 women, in response to statements of the victims”. The cost sheet, filed within the first sexual assault case in opposition to the seer, carries the victims’ accounts and different findings of the investigation workforce, mentioned the officer, who’s a part of the probe workforce. “However there isn’t any scientific proof but to assist the fees,” the officer added.
Moreover Sharanaru, the opposite people who find themselves being investigated within the case are hostel warden Rashmi, youthful pontiff Basavaraditya Swami, mutt hostel head Parama Shivaiah and mutt authorized adviser Gangadhraiah. The FIR within the case accused the seer of sexually assaulting the minor women whereas others supported him.
“To date, we’ve got not discovered any proof in opposition to the third accused, Basavaraditya Swami, and the fifth accused, advocate Gangadharaiah. Therefore, the cost sheet doesn’t embrace their names,” mentioned Parashuram. “The investigation workforce continues to be probing the position of the 2. If we discover any proof in opposition to them, a supplementary cost sheet shall be filed in opposition to them.”
Sharanaru, who’s presently in judicial custody, denied the allegations throughout his three-day interrogation by the police. “The seer was interrogated for greater than 12 hours over the three days. The SP and circle inspector Balachandra Naik requested many questions, however he denied the allegations of sexual assault on minor women,” a senior police officer beforehand mentioned. “He alleged the allegations have been half of a bigger conspiracy in opposition to him.”
Demanding a radical probe into the case, VK Stanley, director of Mysuru-based NGO Odanadi, which helped the primary two minor survivors file the criticism in opposition to the seer, mentioned: “The cost sheet clearly indicted Shivamurthy Sharanaru with committing atrocities on poor women beneath the guise of pontiff. A radical probe must be carried out into the heinous acts.”
Reacting to the findings by the investigating workforce to this point, former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, a distinguished Lingayat chief who earlier defended the seer, on Tuesday mentioned the seer has dedicated an “unpardonable” crime.
“I didn’t anticipate the seer to stoop so low. He deserves strict punishment,” Yediyurappa, who’s a member of the Bharatiya Janata Get together’s central parliamentary committee, informed reporters in Udupi district.
A day after the seer was booked beneath Pocso, the senior BJP chief mentioned that expenses in opposition to the seer have been false. “There is no such thing as a reality in it and after the completion of the investigation, he’ll come out clear,” Yediyurappa mentioned on August 28.
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who additionally belongs to the Lingayat neighborhood, mentioned the seer “could be punished as per regulation”.