Police given full freedom to investigate Karanataka seer sexual abuse case: CM Basavaraj Bommai

This comes after high-school girls had approached a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Mysuru and told about the alleged abuse. Following this, the NGO approached the authorities and the case was registered by the police.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that the state police have been given complete freedom to investigate the ongoing Karanataka seer sexual abuse case involving Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru.

Speaking to reporters at Mangaluru, CM Bommai avoided commenting on allegations regarding the "delay" in the arrest of the seer.

"There is no need to respond to all these talks. I have already said that everything will happen in accordance with the law. It is not right to comment on the case at the present situation," he said.

The State police arrested the Lingayat seer on Thursday night. The arrest came 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 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against Sharanaru.

The 64-year-old seer was produced before the first additional district and sessions judge during the early hours of Friday, who remanded him to 14 days' judicial custody.

Before this, he was taken to the district hospital, after he complained of some health complications in jail, said reports citing police sources.

Earlier, the Mysuru city police had last week filed an FIR against the seer under the POCSO Act and certain sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for the alleged sexual abuse.

According to reports, the FIR was filed based on the complaint by an officer of the District Child Protection Unit, the police have named five people. It included the warden of the prominent Lingayat Math’s hostel.

This comes after high-school girls had approached a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Mysuru and told about the alleged abuse. Following this, the NGO approached the authorities and the case was registered by the police.

The seer was booked under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act as well, as one of the victims belongs to the SC community.