JOIN USThe Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials on Friday arrested and released Ramachandrapura Mutt seer Raghaveshwara Bharathi in connection with the first rape case filed by a Ramakatha singer. A senior CID official said that a final report in the first case will be filed soon.
The victim's daughter had filed the complaint against Raghaveshwara Bharathi with Banashankari police, on Aug 28, 2014, after her parents were arrested on charge of blackmailing the seer. The State government had handed over the case to the CID in September 2014.
The seer visited the CID office along with his advocate at around 3.30 pm. He was questioned by a team of police officials led by Superintendent of Police, Sirigowri. The seer was formally arrested and released after executing the bail conditions.
Sources said that seer produced a personal bond of Rs one lakh and a surety bond of Rs 1 lakh. He also signed on the arrest register, Prisoner’s Search Register and Arrest Card. The CID officials also took the fingerprint of the seer as a procedure normally followed during the arrest.
“We have almost reached the finality in the case. Though the seer had obtained anticipatory bail, the arrest formality was not conducted. Besides, since the victim has alleged rape in several places across the country, the teams had to visit each and every place and conduct the mahazar. The seer was told to appear before the Investigating Officer on Friday and the arrest formality was completed. The final report will be submitted soon,” a senior police official said.
The complaint
Premalata Diwakar, in her complaint, stated that she was raped by the seer continously since October 2011 during the Ramakatha programmes.
The seer moved the High Court, when the CID issued notice to the seer to appear for medical examination.
After the High Court dismissed the petition, the seer was subjected to medical examination in Dec 2014.
Recently, another complaint of rape was filed against the seer at Girinagar police station. The victim, an artiste, stated that she was raped by the seer once in 2006 when she was a minor and again in 2012 at mutt's Girinagar branch in Bengaluru. The government has transferred the second case to the CID recently.