Interim bail for mutt seer in fresh rape case

 Raghaveshwara Swami, the head of Ramachandrapura Mutt, was granted anticipatory bail by a sessions court here on Wednesday in a rape case registered against him at the Girinagar police station.

Judge G D Mahavarkar granted the swami 30-day bail on his petition and adjourned the next hearing until September 8. A woman had recently lodged a complaint with the Girinagar police that the seer had raped her, and demanded action against him. In 2014, a Ramakatha singer named Premalatha, in her late 40s, had accused the seer of raping her at a house in Hubballi. The CID is probing both the cases.

Additional Advocate General A S Ponnanna opposed anticipatory bail to the seer. He cited Premalatha’s complaint and suggested that some elements had intimidated witnesses. Ponnanna argued that the seer had violated the terms  of the bail granted in that case.

The seer’s lawyer, Shambhu Sharma, countered by suggesting that a “conspiracy” had been hatched to tarnish his client’s image. There is “no truth” in the complaint filed and anticipatory bail must be granted to the seer, he said. The court granted anticipatory bail after hearing arguments from both the parties.

Activists of Janawadhi Mahila Sanghatane staged a protest near Mysore Bank Circle on Friday, demanding the immediate arrest of the seer. They accused the CID of being “lax”. Lakshmi, state general secretary of the organisation, said, “It is unfair that even after a rape case was filed against a person six days ago, he has not been arrested .”