Karnataka Lingayat mutt sex scandal: Court to take up accused seer's bail plea today

A local court will on Monday take a call on granting of bail to rape-accused seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru of Chitradurga Murugha Mutt in the Lingayat mutt sex scandal case.

Two minor girls have lodged a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) act and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the accused seer and others.

The counsel for accused seer has moved a petition seeking permission from the Second District and Sessions Court to shift the accused seer to the Jayadeva hospital in Bengaluru on medical grounds.

He has stated that the accused seer is suffering from a cardiovascular disease and needs to be shifted to Bengaluru for coronary angiogram and other tests.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the accused is spending time in the library and writing a diary in the prison. He is taking food cooked for prisoners and has been prevented from going to walk in the open area.

The court had remanded him to judicial custody till September 14. Earlier, the court had slammed the prosecution's move of admitting the accused to ICU immediately after his arrest and making preparations to shift him to Bengaluru hospital without taking the court's permission.

It had given directions to treat him at the local medical facility.

In a related development, the uncle of one of the survivors had stated that the girl had been tutored to frame charges against the seer.

Published on: Monday, September 12, 2022, 09:31 AM IST