NGO urges CBI probe in girls' sexual abuse case; arrested Lingayat seer undergoes potency test
BENGALURU: The Mysuru-based non-government organisation, which helped book a case against the chief pontiff of Murugha Math in the minor girls' sexual abuse case, on Sunday demanded that a CBI or a court-monitored inquiry should be conducted against the seer as some people in the administration were colluding to protect him.
Speaking to PTI, Stanly K Varghese, director of NGO 'Odanadi', said a high-level probe was necessary against Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru because there were media reports of many missing girls from the hostel, including the granddaughter of a blind man.
"In their statement, they (survivors) have mentioned about three more (missing) girls. That is evident in their statement. I am not talking in a vague manner. There are many girls, but they (survivors) have identified or recognised at least three girls who are there. Their names are mentioned (in the complaint)," Varghese said.
"Some mysterious deaths have happened, some girls went missing, some girls got married after rape, with the pontiff's support, some ladies got compensation for the rape by the pontiff," Varghese said.
The NGO director said the delay in the seer's arrest and the role of the child welfare committee of Chitradurga point to collusion.
"The system worked systematically in favour of the accused. I don't want to give a political or religious colour but the law-and-order system, the CWC of Chitradurga, hospital authorities, jail authorities and all worked in favour of the accused. Even the medical officer was saying that the Swamiji got a heart attack, which is not true. After that, Swamiji became all right in the court," the director of Odanadi said.
Varghese was referring to a district medical officer's statement who had said that the seer would be shifted to a hospital in Bengaluru as he had developed some cardiac-related issue after his arrest.
Meanwhile, the seer was subjected to potency and DNA tests, sources in the medical department said.
"He underwent the potency test on Saturday. We also took samples of his blood and hair for DNA test," a medical officer in Chitradurga told PTI.
The officer refused to disclose the outcome saying that such things cannot be shared with media but will be presented to the court, which is hearing the case.
Sharanaru was arrested on Thursday following a case registered under provisions of the POCSO Act and ST/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against him for allegedly sexually harassing two minor girls studying in the high school.