Four more minors lodge POCSO case against Murugha Mutt seer

The case has been transferred to Chitradurga rural police station

Yet another FIR has been filed against Shivamurthy Muruga Sharan, the chief pontiff of Muruga Mutt in Chitradurga, for sexually harassing four more minor girls at the mutt hostel. The complaint was filed by the mother of the two of the girls with the support of NGO Odanadi at Nazarbad Police Station in Mysuru on Thursday.

Mysuru City Police Commissioner Chandraguptha confirmed this to DH. He said that they have already transferred the case to Chitradurga rural police station. The medical test of the girls, apart from other other formalities, will be conducted in Chitradurga, he said.

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Based on the complaint by the 38-year-old mother of the two children, the FIR has been filed under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012, 5(L), 6, 7 and IPC 376 (2) and 376 (3) and 149.

As per the FIR, the two daughters of the complainant, aged 12 and 14 years, were abused from January 1, 2019 to June 6, 2022 and two other girls of hostel aged 14 and 15 years were abused from 1 January 2019 to 6 June 2022.

Besides Shivamurthy Sharan, the names of six others, including five staff members of the Mutt, are also listed in the FIR for allegedly supporting the sexual harassment. The staff members named in the FIR include warden Rashmi, Basavaidithya, Paramashivaiah, Gangadaraiah, Mahalinga and Karibasappa.

According to Stanley, chief of NGO Odanadi, the allegation against Shivamurthy Sharan is not just a case but a scam as more such students have suffered over the years. "So there has to be a detailed investigation by a central agency like the CBI against the swamy. Since there has not been adequate cooperation from the district administration of Chitradurga, the parents are coming to Mysuru trusting the NGO and lodging complaints in Mysuru," he claimed.