Karnataka HC Stays Non-Bailable Warrant Against Rape Accused Lingayat Seer, Orders Immediate Release

The non-bailable warrant was issued by Second Additional Sessions Judge B K Komala in Chitradurga, who further directed the police to present Shivamurthy Sharana before her by Tuesday.

The High Court of Karnataka issued a directive on Monday instructing prison authorities in Chitradurga to promptly release Shivamurthy Sharana, the pontiff of the Chitradurga Murugharajendra Bruhan Math, who was arrested earlier in the day and sent to judicial custody. The arrest followed the issuance of a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the Seer by the Second Additional Sessions Judge B K Komala in Chitradurga, marking the second case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, news agency PTI reported.

The pontiff of the Chitradurga Murugharajendra Bruhan Math was detained on Monday, only hours after a Court ordered a non-bailable warrant in the second Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case against him, PTI reported.

The non-bailable warrant was issued by Second Additional Sessions Judge B K Komala in Chitradurga, who further directed the police to present Shivamurthy Sharana before her by Tuesday. He had been detained since September 1, 2022, and was granted bail by the High Court on November 8 in the first of two POCSO proceedings against him, after which he was freed from jail on November 16.

SP Chitradurga said: "On November 16, the High Court granted conditional bail to him in the first POCSO case. He was also released on this bail. But as he was released before getting bail in the second POCSO case, he was re-arrested today within 4 days of getting bail."

After being released, the seer was residing at the Virakta Math in Davangere, where he was nabbed today by Chitradurga police.

The High Court placed various conditions for the pontiff's bail in one of the two POCSO allegations against him, including that he not be permitted to enter Chitradurga district until the investigation in the cases is completed.

He was given bail on a personal bond of Rs two lakh and two sureties for equivalent sums, with the condition that he not tamper with evidence or influence witnesses.

The initial complaint against the pope and four others was made in Mysuru by the 'Odanadi Seva Samsthe', an NGO, claiming sexual abuse of young students studying at the mutt's school and sleeping in its Chitradurga dormitory.

The Nazarabad police station in Mysuru had opened an investigation under POCSO and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Following then, the case was moved to the Chitradurga Rural police station.

The second POCSO case was filed when the mother of two young girls submitted a complaint stating that the seer sexually harassed her two daughters and two other minor girls while they were staying in the hostel 2019 and 2022.

According to the lawsuit, the junior seer Basavaditya and others, including Paramashivaiah, Gangadhar, Mahalinga, and Karibasappa, were also involved. In the second instance, Paramashivaiah's name was later removed off the charge sheet.