Prerna Gala
Published on: 03 September, 2022 at 19:46 IST
A case was registered against Dr. Shivamurthy Muruga Sharanaru under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, as a result of which he has been remanded to police custody for three days by the Chitradurga District Court.
The plea filed by the police seeking five days of custody for interrogation in the POCSO case was being heard by the Second Additional District and Sessions Judge and Special Judge BK Komala.
It was alleged that the students of Priyadarshini School, who were staying in Akkamahadevi Vasathi Nilaya, a hostel run by the Mutt, were sexually harassed by the accused. Furthermore, it was claimed that the accused sexually harassed a minor girl aged 16 and another aged 15 for the past three and a half years and one and a half years, respectively.
Hence, a complaint was filed on August 26 before the Nazarbad Police Station at Mysore for offences under the POCSO Act as well as the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Sharanaru and four others.
Later on, the case was transferred to Chitradurga Rural Police Station. Following that, he was arrested on Thursday night and was produced before the judge on Friday early morning after a medical examination.
After that, the Judge asked Sharanaru to be presented before the court at 11 o’clock. He was admitted to the district hospital in the morning due to heart problems. When the court asked how the accused could have been admitted to the hospital without informing the judge, the police submitted the accused’s medical report and the doctor’s opinion.
After having reviewed the report, the Court ordered Sharanaru to appear before the bench. He was produced before the court under tight security.
The Court, over the perusal of the prima facie report, sent Sharanaru on remand home under police custody for three days for investigation