BENGALURU/CHITRADURGA : High drama unspooled as Dr Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, pontiff of Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra Bruhanmath, was arrested in connection with the second POCSO case and was released a few hours later after the Karnataka High Court quashed a non-bailable warrant issued against him by the Sessions Court in Chitradurga on Monday.
On Monday morning, the Second Additional District judge ordered the judicial custody of the pontiff, following which the Chitradurga Rural police arrested him from Virakta Mutt in Davanagere and produced him before the court, which remanded in judicial custody till December 2.
After a medical test, the pontiff was taken to the Chitradurga district prison. Meanwhile, an emergent application was moved before the Karnataka High Court.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj ordered, “The order dated Nov 20, 2023, passed by II Additional District and Sessions Judge at Chitradurga issuing NBW is stayed. Consequently, NBW issued as also arrest made as aforestated being contrary to the orders passed by the high court would have to be set-at-naught by directing the Prison Authorities, District Jail, Chitradurga to forthwith release Sharanaru from custody.”
Sessions court violated HC order: Lawyer
The pontiff was released at 8.40 pm on Monday. After Sharanaru’s arrest, his advocate KBK Swamy drew the attention of the HC in the afternoon, saying the seer was arrested despite the HC interim order in the second case to defer the proceedings before the Chitradurga court.
He said the sessions court violated a condition imposed by HC while granting bail recently to the seer that he should not enter Chitradurga till the conclusion of the trial pending in two cases and appear before the sessions court through video-conferencing. This was not considered by the sessions court, he told the court.
The HC took up the matter in the evening and the senior counsel argued for the seer. The HC then quashed the Chitradurga district court’s order and directed it to comply with the interim order passed by the High Court.