Karnataka: Shivamurthy of Muruga Mutt sent to judicial custody till September 14

Chitradurga, Sep 05: Influential Karnataka seer, Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, who is accused of raping two minor girls, will appear before the Chitradurga district session court. The appearance is expected at 11 am as the seer's first granted police custody ends today.

This comes a day after the police conducted a spot inspection at the Murugha mutt on Sunday.

Earlier the Chitradurga District Court on Saturday postponed the bail application seeking anticipatory bail for Murugha Mutt seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, accused of sexual assault.

Shivamurthy was sent to 4-day police custody by a Chitradurga Sessions court on September 2. The Investigation Officer will also be producing a preliminary report in the case to the court today.

The 64-year old seer has already approached the court seeking bail on health grounds and the bail plea likely to come for a hearing today.

Sharanaru has been booked under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly sexually abusing two high school girls, studying in a school run by the Math and staying in hostel also belonging to it.

The pontiff of one of the most prominent and influential Lingayat Maths in the state was questioned by police for several hours on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the police have been given a free hand to investigate the sexual abuse case 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 talk. I have already said that everything will happen in accordance with law. It is not right to comment on the case at the present situation," Bommai said in the coastal city of Mangaluru in response to a question on delay in the seer's arrest.

Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah sought an impartial probe by the police, based on the complaint lodged by victim-girls, in connection with the case.