Following the arrest of prominent seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that the government doesn’t need to answer any allegations against the pontiff, and that police are doing their job.
“We don’t need to answer any allegations (delay in arresting seer). I have already said everything will be done according to the law, it is not appropriate to speak now. We’ve given free hand to the police and they are doing their job,” the Karnataka CM told reporters in Mangaluru, as quoted by ANI.
Also Read: Lingayat mutt seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru arrested, sent to 14-day judicial custody
Meanwhile, the chief pontiff of the Jagadguru Murugharajendra Vidyapeetha in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district was taken to an ICU ward of a Chitradurga district hospital on Friday after he complained of chest pain.
District surgeon told ANI that the seer is having cardiac issues. “They have done ECG for Murugha Swamiji and now it is showing some changes regarding myocardial infarction and blood. The report will come in 10 minutes. Two doctors are coming from Davanagere, and we will take a decision. He is having cardiac problems. We will take a decision in one hour,” the surgeon was quoted saying by ANI.
On Thursday night, the chief pontiff of one of the most prominent and influential Lingayat seminaries in the state was arrested by Chitradurga police and questioned for several hours, police said, PTI reported. He had reportedly developed health issues soon after his arrest and was taken to the district hospital for check-up.
Chitradurga Superintendent of Police K Parashuram told reporters the seer was produced before a local court which remanded him to 14-day judicial custody. He was questioned at an undisclosed location by Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar, the investigation officer in the case.
He was then taken to a district hospital for medical check up and then produced before the first additional district and sessions judge at her residence, who remanded him to judicial custody. The seer was then sent to the district prison, Chitradurga SP said.
Meanwhile, Parshuram said that the state police would apply for police custody to interrogate the case.
Murugha Sharanaru is accused of allegedly sexually abusing two girls, aged 15 and 16, in a school run by the mutt and resided in the mutt’s hostel, where they were abused.
Also Read: What is the Muruga Mutt case? Know why Karnataka’s most prominent seer is in the eye of a storm
Along with the mutt’s pontiff, four others have been booked, while another one has been arrested. Two other accused are at large and a search is on.
The accused have been booked under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 376 of the IPC that deals with rape. He has also been charged under provisions of the SC/ST Act as one of the girls is believed to be a Dalit.