<p>Devangere: A case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act against Vachanananda Swamiji for allegedly sexually assaulting a boy at a hostel run by Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Gurupeetha in Harihar. The seer was removed as head of Panchamasali Peetha recently as he did not vacate the Shwasa Yoga Peetha in Bengaluru as promised earlier.</p>.<p>A ‘zero’ FIR registered at Lakshmeshwar police station in Gadag district, has been transferred to Harihar rural police station. The police, who have started the investigation, have recorded the statement of the mother of the 16-year-old boy, who filed a complaint.</p>.<p>Superintendent of police H T Shekhar said the mother had filed a complaint at Lakshmeshwar police station alleging that Vachanananda Swamiji was asking her son to massage his body. An investigation has been initiated and the boy’s statement will be recorded.</p>.<p>The Gurupeeth Trust had removed Vachanananda Swamiji as head of the Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Gurupeeth in Harihar on April 13 after he failed to vacate the Shwasa Yoga Peetha in Bengaluru within the deadline set the trust. Amid this controversy, the seer was accused of getting massaged by boys in the hostel on the mutt’s premises.</p>.<p>Three boys from the hostel had complained to the District Child Welfare Committee saying the seer beat them, abused them and had not given them medicines when they fell sick. A delegation led by the committee’s president Manjula Mahesh visited the mutt on April 17 and recorded the statements of many people, including the seer.</p>.<p>The boys have been counselled in three stages and a report will be submitted to the Harihar rural police station soon, informed the committee’s sources.</p>.<p>In the complaint, the boy’s mother stated that the sexual abuse took place when he was in the hostel while studying in a government school at Hanagawadi in Harihar taluk from 2021 to 2024. According to the complaint, the seer used to enter the bathroom while the boys of the hostel were bathing and undress himself. The complaint stated he used to get massaged by the boys all over body, including his private parts. He sexually abused the boys by touching their private parts, she charged in her complaint.</p>
<p>Devangere: A case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act against Vachanananda Swamiji for allegedly sexually assaulting a boy at a hostel run by Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Gurupeetha in Harihar. The seer was removed as head of Panchamasali Peetha recently as he did not vacate the Shwasa Yoga Peetha in Bengaluru as promised earlier.</p>.<p>A ‘zero’ FIR registered at Lakshmeshwar police station in Gadag district, has been transferred to Harihar rural police station. The police, who have started the investigation, have recorded the statement of the mother of the 16-year-old boy, who filed a complaint.</p>.<p>Superintendent of police H T Shekhar said the mother had filed a complaint at Lakshmeshwar police station alleging that Vachanananda Swamiji was asking her son to massage his body. An investigation has been initiated and the boy’s statement will be recorded.</p>.<p>The Gurupeeth Trust had removed Vachanananda Swamiji as head of the Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Gurupeeth in Harihar on April 13 after he failed to vacate the Shwasa Yoga Peetha in Bengaluru within the deadline set the trust. Amid this controversy, the seer was accused of getting massaged by boys in the hostel on the mutt’s premises.</p>.<p>Three boys from the hostel had complained to the District Child Welfare Committee saying the seer beat them, abused them and had not given them medicines when they fell sick. A delegation led by the committee’s president Manjula Mahesh visited the mutt on April 17 and recorded the statements of many people, including the seer.</p>.<p>The boys have been counselled in three stages and a report will be submitted to the Harihar rural police station soon, informed the committee’s sources.</p>.<p>In the complaint, the boy’s mother stated that the sexual abuse took place when he was in the hostel while studying in a government school at Hanagawadi in Harihar taluk from 2021 to 2024. According to the complaint, the seer used to enter the bathroom while the boys of the hostel were bathing and undress himself. The complaint stated he used to get massaged by the boys all over body, including his private parts. He sexually abused the boys by touching their private parts, she charged in her complaint.</p>
