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Mother of 2 girls raped by K’taka seer rejects govt job offer
The mother, who has currently taken shelter in the premises of an NGO, told the Chitradurga Child Welfare Committee (CWC) members on Thursday that she has no security in Chitradurga.
The mother of two minor girls who have accused Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru of sexually assaulting them has rejected a government job offer in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district, people familiar with the development said.
The woman, who has taken shelter in the premises of Mysuru-based NGO Odanadi, on Thursday informed the child welfare committee (CWC) members in the district that she would not return to Chitradurga citing security concerns.
“I had sought help from the state government and wrote a letter to the women and child welfare officials, seeking job for me and support for my children’s education in August itself,” the woman told HT. “But no one responded to my request. However, officials came forward to help me only after I wrote to the President of India.”
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She added: “As Odanadi had already taken responsibility of my children’s education and fearing lack of security in Chitradurga, I rejected their offer.”
On December 12, the Chitradurga women and child welfare department deputy director wrote a letter to the Mysuru CWC, informing that the backward classes and minorities welfare department would make arrangements to provide education to the minor survivors and job to their mother, and asked them convince her to move to Chitradurga.
“The women and child welfare department in association with backward classes and minorities welfare department offered her a job and education to her children, following her requisition to the government. It is up to her to accept or reject the offer,” said Chitradurga WCWD deputy director Bharati Banakar.
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The woman, who is also the second accused in a case of conspiracy against Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra (SJM) mutt, alleged that she was pressurised to withdraw complaint against the former pontiff.
“During police investigation, they kept me in their custody for 21 days, even pressurised me to withdraw complaint against SJM pontiff. Hence, I could not go back there,” she alleged.
People cited in the first instance also said that the woman has informed the CWC members that the police under the pretext of investigation took her to Chitradurga and allegedly forced her to withdraw her complaint.
“She told the CWC that she did not eat for three days due to the stress and anxiety,” said one of the people cited above, requesting anonymity. “The CWC has recorded the statement of the mother and will send the report to the district child protection unit by Tuesday.”
Rejecting the allegations of the woman, Chitradurga superintendent of police K Parashuram said: “She was not in police custody for 21 days as accused by her. Police provided her accommodation in Santwana Kendra run by WCWD as she staying in Mysuru and it was difficult to appear for interrogation.”
He further told HT that police did not pressurise her to withdraw complaint against accused pontiff. “If she files complaint regarding this, we would initiate action against the policemen,” he added.
The woman has also written a letter to Mysuru CWC, requesting to allow her to stay in Odanadi and provide a suitable job there.
“The offer of job and providing admission in schools to victims is really welcome, but in the background, one can see the conspiracy to woo her to withdraw the case filed against prominent Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Sharanaru,” said Odanadi director KV Stanley.
The NGO director said that the Chitradurga police have registered a case against Odanadi and the victims’ mother under sections 366A (procuration of minor girl), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 384 (punishment for extortion), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
