Police given free hand to probe charges against Murugha Mutt seer: Bommai

Mangaluru, Sep 02: Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said police have been given a free hand to investigate the sexual abuse case against chief pontiff of Murugha Math Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, in accordance with law.

He did not wish to comment on allegations regarding the "delay" in the arrest of the seer. "There is no need to respond to all these talks.

"We don't need to answer any allegations. I have already said everything will be done according to the law, it's not appropriate to speak now. We have given free hand to the police and they are doing their job," said Bommai.

Shivamurthy Sharanaru, a powerful religious leader in Karnataka was arrested by police on Thursday night, six days after the case of alleged sexual harassment of two minor girls staying in a hostel run by the Math was filed under the POCSO Act against him.

He heads the Murugha Math, one of the key Lingayat seminaries.

Sharanaru, who has been booked under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for sexually abusing two high school girls, was produced before a local court, which remanded him to 14 days' judicial custody.

It is alleged that the two girls, aged 15 and 16, studying in a school run by the math and residing in a hostel, also belonged to the monastery, were sexually abused. Apart from the POCSO Act and the SC/ST Act, cases have also been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the seer.