Woman wants new judge to try seer for rape

A female singer, who has accused Ramachandrapura Mutt seer Raghaveshwara Bharathi of raping her, has filed a petition in the High Court seeking transfer of the case to another judge.

The case is now pending before the Additional Sessions Judge (CCH-54), Bengaluru.
The petition said it is a well-settled law that cases of atrocities on women shall be, as far as practicable, tried by a woman presiding officer. “Strangely, it is found that though there are several women presiding officers available in Bengaluru, the present sessions judge was notified to try the cases of atrocities on women,” the petition says.

The present judge, on February 6, had commented in the open court that he would not subject the seer to any medical test and this had resulted in apprehension that a fair trial may not be conducted in the case. The petitioner has claimed that the sessions judge, before hearing the State and the seer, had remarked that it was not ready to cancel the bail which indicated that he has prejudged the case. Justice Pradeep D Waingankar adjourned the matter till Monday.