Shivamurthy Sharanaru, a religious leader of the politically powerful Lingayat community of Karnataka, was arrested late this evening following heavy pressure from the civil society. Two minor girls have accused him of rape and a case was registered 6 days ago.
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Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, 64, heads one of the major Lingayat madrassas, Murugha Math.
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He has been named in a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act and the law protecting Scheduled Castes and Tribes, as one of the survivors is from the Dalit community.
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The arrest took place at around 10.15 pm after a day-long protest by civil society and various organizations in Chitradurga and Mysore districts of Karnataka.
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The police took utmost care given the law and order issues – barricading the front door of the monastery a few hours before the arrest and escorting him out through the back door.
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He has been shifted to the office of the Deputy Superintendent at Challakere in Chitradurga. It is not yet decided whether he will be produced in court tonight.
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The case was registered on August 26 after both the girl students of Murugha Math approached an NGO in Mysore. Both teenagers alleged that they were abused for years.
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His earlier attempt to file a complaint in June-July was thwarted after the Bengaluru police called up the Math authorities. Sources said that the Math officials came and took them back.
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Considering the political clout of the Lingayat community, political leaders in the state, across party lines, have kept silence on the issue. Earlier this month, Shivmurthy Sharanaru had inducted Congress’ Rahul Gandhi into the Lingayat community at the same monastery.
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Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s predecessor, former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa publicly supported him, saying the seer was “falsely implicated”.
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Advocate Srinivas DC, representing her, said, “Even though it has been delayed, justice has been given to the girls.”