Bengaluru, May 14: After a month-long power struggle between the seer of Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Gurupeetha in Harihar and the trust members, the seer Vachanananda Swamiji, popularly known as ‘Shwasa Yogapeeta Swamiji’ for his breathing exercises for better health concept, is now charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Karnataka has a number of Lingayat mutts across the state and this is the second case where the seer of a mutt has been charged under a POCSO case after locking horns with the mutt committee members. Two years ago, the seer of Murugha Mutt in Chitradurga also faced POCSO charges and was in jail till he got bail.
Power struggle preceded POCSO charges
The power struggle between the committee members and the Swamiji had been continuing for the last six months. Last month, on April 13, the committee had expelled the Swamiji from the Shwasa Mutt at Harihar in Davanagere district. This had resulted in clashes between supporters of the committee and the seer himself.
Now, a ‘zero’ FIR was registered at Lakshmeshwar police station in Gadag district and was later transferred to Harihar Rural police station. The police, who started the investigation, first recorded the statement of the mother of a 16-year-old boy who filed the complaint. On Thursday, the seer was summoned to the police station and was questioned for over two hours by the police.
Police record statements in hostel abuse allegations
Davanagere Superintendent of Police H T Shekhar said that the complainant — mother of a 16-year-old boy who was staying in the hostel run by the mutt in Harihar — alleged that the Swamiji was asking her son to massage his body.
Besides, three boys from the hostel had complained to the District Child Welfare Committee alleging that the seer beat them, abused them, and had not given them medicine when they were sick. A delegation headed by the District Committee President Manjula Mahesh also visited the mutt and recorded the statements of a few children.
The committee members said that the boys have been counselled in three stages and a report will be submitted to the Harihar Rural police station.
Complaint details allegations of sexual abuse
In the complaint, the boy's mother stated that the sexual abuse took place when he was in the hostel while studying in a government school at Hanagawadi in Harihar taluk between 2021 and 2024.
Also Watch:
According to the complaint, the seer used to enter the bathroom while the boys of the hostel were bathing and undress himself. He used to get massaged by the boys all over the body, including his private parts. He sexually abused the boys by touching their private parts, she charged in the complaint.
