Court seeks report on treatment options for Lingayat seer

Hearing the application filed by the seer’s counsel, second additional district judge BK Komala ordered that the primary check-up of the patient be conducted at the nearest government hospital.

A Chitradurga district court hearing a child abuse case against Murugha Mutt pontiff Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru has ordered jail authorities to obtain a report on the best nearest government hospital before shifting the Lingayat seer there for check-up.

Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru (HT Photo)

The order comes on Thursday while responding to an application on heart treatment needed for Sharanaru who was arrested on charges of sexually abusing two minor girls.

Hearing the application filed by the seer’s counsel, second additional district judge BK Komala ordered that the primary check-up of the patient be conducted at the nearest government hospital and its report should be submitted to the court after which a final decision can be taken.

On bail application lodged by the seer, notices were issued to the two survivors and special public prosecutor Nagaveni for filing their objections.

Meanwhile, private advocate Srinivas submitted an application for supporting the special public prosecutor.

The hearing was adjourned to September 12.

The Chitradurga sessions court on September 5 sent Sharanaru to judicial custody till September 14 in the case. Following the order, Sharanaru was taken to a jail in Chitradurga district.

In Mysuru, a group of lawyers have submitted a memorandum to the local administration demanding a judicial probe into the case. “The arrest is an eyewash. The government and police are helping the seer in the case. We demand that a judicial probe or an investigation by a higher agency should be done,” said lawyer Shivakumar R.

Two girls, aged 16 and 15, reportedly told the child welfare committee members that they were sexually assaulted between January 1, 2019 and June 6, 2022. The girls were students of a school run by the mutt in Chitradurga and lived in a hostel there. They left the mutt hostel in July this year.

Based on their complaint, Mysuru police filed an FIR that was later transferred to Chitradurga.