Chief pontiff of Murugha Muth Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru has been sent to judicial custody till September 14 for alleged sexual abuse of minor girls.
The pontiff was in police custody for the last three days. He was arrested on September 1 and produced before the judge at her residence, who sent him to judicial custody. On September 2 morning, he was presented before the court which had remanded him to police custody.
The Mysuru city police had filed an FIR against the seer under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and certain sections of the Indian Penal Code for the alleged sexual abuse.
The FIR was registered against five people, including the warden of the muth's hostel, based on the complaint by an officer of the District Child Protection Unit. Two high school girls had approached a non-governmental organisation in Mysuru and narrated the alleged abuse, following which it approached the authorities and the case was registered by the police. The case was subsequently shifted to Chitradurga, as it was the place of occurrence of the alleged crime.
The seer was also booked under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act as well, as one of the victims belongs to the SC community.
With inputs from PTI
First Published: Sept 5, 2022 4:28 PM IST
Check out our in-depth Market Coverage, Business News & get real-time Stock Market Updates on CNBC-TV18. Also, Watch our channels CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and CNBC Bajar Live on-the-go!
Lok Sabha Election 2024: I.N.D.I.A. bloc to hold rally at Mumbai's BKC today
May 17, 2024 5:18 PM
In Ayodhya, voters talk of a promise fulfilled and yearning for development
May 17, 2024 2:10 PM
Fight of heavyweights in Sambalpur where farmers, weavers hold the key
May 17, 2024 12:25 PM
Odisha: Fight of heavyweights in Sambalpur where farmers, weavers hold the key
May 17, 2024 10:22 AM