CHITRADURGA: The victim in the alleged POCSO case against Dr Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru of Murugha Mutt in Chitradurga has approached the Karnataka High Court.
The victim, through her advocate Srinivas DC, has filed a criminal appeal (CRL A 2498/2025) against the judgment delivered by the Second Additional District Judge Channabasappa Hadapad on November 26.
The victim has filed the appeal against the state represented by the police, Murugha Sharanaru, hostel warden Rashmi and Mutt’s former secretary Paramashivayya.
The lower court had ruled that there was no evidence of sexual assault in the medical report and that pieces of evidence given by the victims before doctors and the magistrate are contradictory. The court had also found that there was a property dispute between Swamy Sharanaru and one Basavarajan for the last 15 years, which weakened the case.
The court said the case registered against the seer was a conspiracy. “The statements given by the victims do not match each other. Though former MLA and manager of the mutt SK Basavarajan has stated that he has given evidence and photos to the SP regarding the incident, the same has not been brought before the court during the trial,” the judgment read.
POCSO case: Lower court pointed to gaps in probe
The judge took note of statements by four children from the mutt, who were witnesses, which did not support the allegations made by the alleged victims. The court objected to Basavarajan’s claim that the victim was assaulted and thrown out of the mutt and the police did not collect any footage.
Sharanaru’s advocate CV Nagesh argued that the victim went to the Cottonpet police station from Majestic, instead of approaching the Upparpet police. She went there because Dhananjaya, who was previously with the Chitradurga Town police station, worked there.
Dhananjay had a close association with Basavarajan, Soubhagya and Guru. It was Guru, a close associate of Basavarajan, who paid the victim’s auto fare in Bengaluru. The victims were not given any medical aid, and this raised doubts, Nagesh told the court.
The verdict stated that the testimony given by the victims is unreliable for convicting Sharanaru, and the other two.
The verdict stated that the victims are not entitled to compensation and there was no evidence in the medical report that the victims were sexually abused. It was also alleged that there is a backdoor entry and stairs to reach the pontiff’s private room, but they were not mentioned in the chargesheet.