A local court in Karnataka on Wednesday acquitted Shivamurthy Muruga Sharanaru, the former head pontiff of the Murugarajendra Mutt, who had been accused of raping two minor students.
In this particular case, Sharanaru had been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012, and Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code for rape. He was also booked under the Pocso Act in another alleged sexual assault case.
The seer, who was present in court where his supporters had gathered, said he did not want to comment on the development. “I will not respond now. I will keep mum now. I will respond at an appropriate time,” he said.
Sharanaru, who was barred from entering Chitradurga district by the court, arrived from Virakta Mutt in Davangere.
Booked in three cases
In August 2022, two girls, aged 16 and 15, told members of the state Child Welfare Committee that they were sexually assaulted between January 1, 2019, and June 6, 2022. The girls were students of a school run by the mutt and were residents of its hostel.
Later, a case was registered against Sharanaru at a police station in Mysuru, which was subsequently transferred to another police station. The seer, the warden of the hostel and three others were booked in the case.
In October 2022, another complaint was filed by a cook, alleging that the seer had sexually assaulted four girls, including her daughters. He was booked in yet another case in November on charges of revealing information about minors living on the mutt’s premises.
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After the first case was registered, the then Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government in Karnataka appointed an administrator to oversee the works of the mutt.