HC grants bail to one accused in Murugha Mutt POCSO case

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Friday granted bail to Paramashivaiah, the accused number three in the first Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case against the pontiff of the Chitradurga Murugha Mutt, Shivamurthy Sharana.

Pramashivaiah is the first accused in the entire episode to be granted bail. The single judge bench of Justice Shivashankar Amarannavar granted bail on the petition filed by Paramashivaiah on condition of payment of Rs.2 lakh bail bond and two sureties.

The HC also imposed the conditions that he should not influence the witnesses and try to destroy evidence. The entire judgement copy is yet to be released.

The complaint against the pontiff and four others was filed by the Odanadi Seva Samsthe, an NGO, in Mysuru alleging sexual harassment of minor students studying in the mutt’s school and staying in its hostel.

The Nazarabad police had registered a case under POCSO and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The case was transferred to the Chitradurga Rural police station subsequently. The accused were arrested and have been in judicial custody since then.

A second case was registered after two more students filed a complaint. Paramashivaiah was named an accused in both the cases but he was dropped from the list of accused in the second case when the charge sheet was filed. He is accused of helping the pontiff in sexual assault on the minors.