Controversy as Murugha Mutt hostel girls sent to their home districts

District child welfare committee’s decision to hurriedly send 49 girl students who lived in the Murugha mutt-run hostel in the city, to their home districts has stirred up a controversy. There were allegations about evidence tampering, too, as the two girls, who had accused the mutt seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharana of sexual abuse, had also alleged that other children were also victims of it.

Child Rights activists argued that the authorities concerned seemed to be in a hurry to send the girls back, which could lead to distortion of evidence about proving that the seer had sexually abused other hostel girls also.

They also urged the government to constitute independent committees—with only women members—to collect accurate information from the girls of the hostel, their family background and their classes, and record their statements separately about their experience in the hostel, away from limelight when the children could be free from any kind of pressure.

Speaking to DH, a child rights activist who wanted to remain anonymous, alleged that the children were sent back home to destroy any evidence of sexual abuse by the seer. “Sending the children, who are in need of immediate care, to their home districts is legally correct. But this is a special situation, as the seer is the prime accused in a sexual abuse case involving two girls,” the activist said.

According to the activist, the timing of the girls being sent back home was suspect and alleged that it was done to destroy the evidence of sexual abuse. “It seems, in this case, they have been sent to their home districts immediately. Statements of (such) children must not be recorded instantly. They must be given adequate time and record their statements when they have no pressure in any way. The statement of each child must be recorded separately. But it seems these norms have not been followed in this case,” the activist said.

Child Rights Trust executive director Vasudeva Sharma said there was uncertainty about the actual number of girls who stayed in the hostel run by the mutt. First the staff said there were 143, and later, they stuck to 103. “Above all, a visually impaired man alleged that his daughter had been missing for the past several months. So, the government must take some corrective measures,” Sharma said.

He also suggested that an independent committee, comprising only women, must be given adequate time and they be directed to collect all the relevant information about the students who lived in the hostel. He also said that child counsellors must record the statement of each child who stayed in the hostel and ask them about their experience.

Davangere district juvenile justice board member Vinayamala S Mundasad told DH that the decision to send girls students to their home districts, till the completion of police inquiry, was the right decision in the children’s interest, as they ought to be away from all such procedures.

However, she also said that if even one among the 49 children was a sexual abuse victim there is a possibility of losing evidence. “The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights could urge the government to conduct an inquiry into this,” she said.

On the other hand, Chitradurga district child welfare committee head Prabhakar clarified that the “staff recorded the statement of each girl student, who stayed in the hostel after they were brought from there and counselling has also been done”.

According to Prabhakar, a report with the girls’ detailed statements was already submitted with the committee. The girls were then sent to their home districts, but he said the onus was on the respective child welfare committee to admit the children into schools there without fail. “They must be put up in the hostels run by the government or in bala mandir to ensure their safety,” he said.