E-Paper
Chitradurga mutt sexual assault case: K’taka orders CWC to counsel all children residing in hostel
The order for counselling all the girls was issued by the state’s directorate of child protection on Wednesday.
The Karnataka government has ordered the state’s chief welfare committee (CWC) to conduct counselling for all the children who were lodged in a hostel run by the Jagadguru Murugarajendra Vidyapeetha Mutt — whose former pontiff Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting four children.
According to police, 103 girls studying in primary and high schools were staying in the hostel. Following the allegations of sexual assault against Sharanaru, 54 girls were taken home by their parents while 49 students were relocated to Bala Mandirs in 11 districts across the state.
The order for counselling all the girls was issued by the state’s directorate of child protection (DCP) on Wednesday.
Chitradurga district child protection officer, P Lokeshappa, said: “The counselling will be carried out in three stages. All 103 students will be counselled. As the girls are natives of the neighbouring 11 districts, the respective district CWC would counsel them.”
Sharanaru is currently lodged in a jail in Chitradurga district after he was arrested under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on September 1 based on a complaint by two students. A similar case was registered against him on October 13 after two more students filed a complaint. Charges have also been filed against him under sections 33 (adoption) and 34 (foster care) of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Mutt officials and lawyers did not respond to HT’s calls for comment on the order.
Activists in Chitradurga welcomed the decision and said more cases of assault may emerge against Sharanaru.
“We have been complaining to authorities to counsel the 16-year-old girl who was in the orphanage run by the mutt, fresh counselling has been ordered on Wednesday to counsel her, and now there is a decision to counsel all students. We welcome this and the truth will come out soon,” said Dr M K Madhu Kumar, an advocate and social activist.
“The mutt has a high influence in Chitradurga and it is patronised by politicians, hence the officials could not conduct impartial probes. The decision of the DCP would definitely provide justice to the victims he expressed confidence,” he added.
Meanwhile, police on Wednesday carried out searches at the mutt’s adoption centre and hostel in connection with the second case filed against Sharanaru
The mutt is among the most influential religious centres for the Lingayat community, among the largest caste groups in Karnataka. The community forms close to 16% of the state’s population.
