Dalit organisations laid siege to the vehicle of the district commissioner of Chitradurga and demanded the arrest of the seer. They warned that if the seer is not arrested, they would give a call to their workers from all over the state to come to Chitradurga and protest against the accused seer.
CHITRADURGA — Six days after a FIR was lodged under the POCSO Act and the SC, ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, the Karnataka police finally swung into action on Thursday in connection with the sex scandal involving the Lingayat seer in Chitradurga district of Karnataka.
Chitradurga Superintendent of Police Parashuram on Thursday stated that accused number 2, women’s hostel warden Rashmi is being questioned in the case of sexual assault on minor girls. “We have started investigating the accused persons in the case one after the other,” he said.
There is no rule as such that the accused should be arrested, if it is necessary the accused seer will be questioned, he maintained. The NCPCR has sought a report from Parashuram on the incident.
Meanwhile, a local court in Chitradurga has granted bail to former MLA S K Basavarajan and his wife Soubhagya in connection with the attempt to rape case and the sexual harassment case filed by the women’s hostel warden Rashmi in the Chitradurga Rural police station.
Rashmi, who is an accused in the POCSO case, has alleged kidnapping of two minor girls, sexual assault on her. She lodged her complaint after the FIR against the Lingayat seer.
S K Basavarajan stated after obtaining bail that he is not conspiring against the mutt. “I only protected children. After coming to know that the minor girls are in Bengaluru I, my wife and son went to Bengaluru and tried to bring back the girls to Chitradurga Mutt. But they refused to stay and later they were sent with their family members,” he said.
“The minor victims were in a bad condition and I gave them shelter. If the minor girls are truthful they will get justice, if they are not, they will be exposed,” Basavarajan stated.
Meanwhile, Dalit organisations laid siege to the vehicle of the district commissioner of Chitradurga and demanded the arrest of the seer. They warned that if the seer is not arrested, they would give a call to their workers from all over the state to come to Chitradurga and protest against the accused seer.
The court has adjourned the bail petition of the seer to Friday. — IANS
Photo: Lingayat seer Dr Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru.
