New Delhi: Karnataka BJP MLC H Vishwanath on Wednesday demanded action from Home Minister Araga Jnanendra against the Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru of Sri Murugha Mutt who has been charged with sexually assaulting minor girls. The BJP MLC also sought action against Chitradurga Superintendent of Police demanding immediate suspension for not initiating action.
“If Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has any shame, he should initiate action against the seer. Chitradurga SP should be suspended immediately for not initiating action,” said the BJP MLC, quoted by news agency ANI.
He also said that he will write a detailed letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the incident and will seek protection of minor girls in the state.
“Nobody is opening their mouths on the issue. Everything is being viewed politically. Parties fear losing votes if they speak on it. Everything is vote bank politics. For sake of votes,you're supporting someone who is accused of raping minor girls,”
Karnataka police have lodged a POCSO case against the accused Lingayat seer following a complaint by two minor girls. The victims of the case will be produced before the magistrate and are expected to record their statements under Section 164 of CrPC.
The victims have already recorded their statements before the police. The case has been transferred to Chitradurga from Mysuru where the complaint was lodged.
The complaint has been lodged by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on behalf of the girls. Odanaadi, an NGO from Mysuru, had approached CWC seeking protection of the survivors and legal action against the powerful seer.
According to police, the victim students who stayed at the residential facility of the mutt were sent to the seer's room on one or the other pretext. There, the girls were given food or drink laced with drugs and seer would allegedly sexually exploit them.