Karnataka: Mutt seer surrenders in court, hearing on May 27

Murugharajendra Bruhan Mutt’s former pontiff Shivamurthy Sharana, who is facing charges in two Pocso cases, surrendered before a court in Chitradurga.

Chitradurga Murugharajendra Bruhan Mutt’s former pontiff Shivamurthy Sharana, who is facing charges in two Pocso cases, surrendered before the first additional session court in Chitradurga on Monday, according to people familiar with the matter.

Supreme Court’s order on April 23 cancels the conditional bail granted to Shivamurthy Sharana by the high court (ANI)

This comes following the Supreme Court’s order on April 23 cancelling the conditional bail granted to him by the high court. The apex court nullified the bail granted to the pontiff, followed by the writ petition filed by former minister H Ekanthaiah. After he surrendered to the first additional sessions court, the court set the next hearing for May 27.

Hearing the petition of Ekanthaiah, the apex court had directed Sharana to be taken into judicial custody for a period of four months. The SC also stipulated that if the investigations are not concluded within this time frame, judicial custody can be extended for two more months.

The seer was booked on August 26, 2022, at Nazarabad police station in Mysuru for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor students under the Pocso Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The case was later transferred to Chitradurga rural police station, leading to his arrest on September 1. Later, he had approached the high court for his bail plea.

He was granted bail in the first Pocso case by the HC on November 16, 2023, under some conditions, including refraining from visiting Chitradurga “until the trial concludes, providing surety, attending court proceedings through video conference, submitting a bond surety of ₹2 lakh, surrendering the passport to the court, and refraining from threatening witnesses or engaging in repeated offences”.

After spending 441 days in judicial custody, Sharana was released and he resided at the Virakta Math in Davangere.

A Mysuru-based NGO that filed the complaint against the pontiff had expressed disappointment over the seer’s bail saying his release would “impact” the survivors.

At the HC, Mysuru-based NGO Odanadi director K V Stanley said: “Despite the case being filed in 2022, witness examinations have yet to take place. Moreover,Sharana’s influence and stature within the community raise legitimate fears of witness tampering.” He had also pointed out that as the seer’s accomplices have been granted bail, there is a high risk of potential interference with the witnesses.’’

Odanadi played a vital role in registering the FIR against Sharana.