Karnataka: Muruga Mutt’s Shivamurthy says ‘will come out clean’ after arrested in POCSO Case
Shivamurthy Muruga Sharanaru, a religious figurehead of the politically influential Lingayat group in Karnataka, was arrested yesterday following intense pressure from the civil society. Six days ago, a case was filed when two young girls accused him of rape.
- Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru is the Chief pontiff of Murugha Math
- Two schoolgirls, aged 15 and 16, studying in a school run by the math
- They were residing in a hostel that also belonged to the monastery are said to have been sexually molested.
- Shivamurthy Murugha has been arrested for alleged sexual abuse of high school girls (charged under POCSO Act & SC/ST Act)
- The seer was interrogated for several hours following his late-night Thursday arrest.
Shivamurthy Muruga Sharanaru, a Lingayat pontiff of the powerful Muruga Rajendra Mutt in Karnataka, was detained late on Thursday following claims of sexual assault against schoolgirls. After two adolescent girls claimed they had been sexually assaulted for years, he was named in a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.
Questions have been raised about the sensational case’s investigative backlog and the state of Karnataka’s major parties’ complete silence.
Despite being charged under the POCSO Act, the police appeared to be moving slowly.
In the state that is getting ready for elections, the arrest is also supposed to have political repercussions.
Mutts And Their Impact On Politics
Major Lingayat mutt that is recognised to be influential across party lines is the Muruga Rajendra Mutt. Politicians are observed making a beeline towards Lingayat mutts, who are rumoured to maintain a non-partisan front. This is because the pontiffs’ blessings have significant symbolic importance. Political figures and groups benefit from being able to claim the support they receive.
Lingayat mutts, such as the Suttur Mutt and the Muruga Mutt, have an influence on how votes change during elections and who becomes the state’s chief minister.
BS Yediyurappa is a prime illustration of the influence a leader with mutt support may wield.
One of the first religious figures to officially defend Yediyurappa and pledge support was Muruga Mutt’s Shivamurthy in 2020, when rumours of the then-removal CM’s were rampant. ” Yediyurappa is a grassroots-level leader. The party was entirely created by him. You shouldn’t disturb him. We are here to stand behind him and show our solidarity. His removal will be detrimental to the party”, Shivamurthy had stated when speaking to the media at the time.
Because the Lingayat minority is a significant voting bloc in Karnataka politics, the opposition Congress was also perceived as being very silent about the police inaction. Nearly 18% of the state’s inhabitants, or lingayats, are registered to vote.
Senior members of the Congress, such as Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, who often would bash the BJP harshly, also remained silent. When Siddaramaiah left the Janata Dal (Secular) and attempted to create his own party under the AHIDA banner in 2005, Shivamurthy supported him. Later, Siddaramaiah joined the Congress and was appointed state chief minister.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi also recently visited this mutt and received “Lingayat deeksha” or initiation into Lingayatism by Shivamurthy. Political observers claim that the action was taken to ensure the support of the mutt and its followers. It might no longer function as well.
Police Investigation
Although Basavaraj Bommai, the chief minister of Karnataka, had promised that the probe would be handled fairly and that “the truth will come out,” activists claim that it appeared as though the government was moving slowly.
Before the arrest, a senior police official stated that the investigation was taking its time because it involved young children and was sensitive.
A social activist in Chitradurga who was working closely with the two young girls said: “The police had taken down the survivors’ testimony. They have bravely protested the crimes committed inside the prison, but justice has not yet been served. They are hopeful that the state government would support them enough and see to it that they receive justice.”
The Case
Following complaints of sexual harassment from two schoolgirls residing at the mutt’s hostel, muruga was charged under POCSO.
Along with the main pontiff, a junior priest, hostel head Parashivaiah Basavaditya, mutt employee Akkamahadevi Rashmi, and lawyer Gangadharaiah have all been charged in the case. Based on a report made by the Mysuru-based NGO Odanadi Seva Samsthe, which assisted the victims in getting out of their situation, an FIR was filed.
A local Chitradurga court earlier on Thursday postponed hearing on Shivamurthy’s anticipatory bail request until September 2.
“ This is not the first time muruga has been the target of a conspiracy. It’s been there for the last 15 years. All I can say is that I will come out clean since the accusations are untrue and without basis. These conspiracies that have been hidden inside the mutt haven’t been exposed. Will provide full assistance to the probe and help carry it to the logical end as truth will win and innocence will be shown”, Shivamurthy recently told the media.  Â
