New Delhi: The district sessions court on Friday sent the head of Sri Murugha Mutt, Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru to police custody for four days in the case of alleged sexual assault of minor girls. The chief pontiff will be in police custody till September 5, news agency ANI reported.
According to the report, the police had requested the bench for five days of custody. He was arrested on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the seer was shifted to a district hospital after complaining of chest pain from where he was later taken to the district sessions court.
Meanwhile, reacting to the allegation of ‘delayed’ arrest of the seer, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai said, “We don’t need to answer any allegations. I have already said that everything will be done according to the law. It’s not appropriate to speak now. We have given a free hand to the police and they’re doing their job.”
Notably, 64-year-old Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, heads the Murugha Math, one of the key Lingayat seminaries. As per reports, two minor girls have accused him of rape and a case was filed six days back.
The seer has been named in a case under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and under the law protecting Scheduled Castes and Tribes, as one of the survivors belongs to the Dalit community.
According to the FIR, the girls were abused for over two years.
“The chief pontiff of Sri Murugha Mutt, Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, accused of sexually assaulting minors, arrested,” ANI quoted Alok Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, Karnataka, as saying.
Kumar had earlier said, “The due procedure will be followed. Medical tests and investigations will be done as per the procedure. He will also be produced before the judge.”