Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, prime accused in the alleged sexual harassment case, whose police custody ended on Monday, has been remanded in judicial custody till September 14.
The seer who was in police custody was produced before the Second Additional District and Sessions Court on Monday and subsequently judge B.K. Komala remanded him in judicial custody. Prior to producing him before the court, medical examination of the seer was again conducted.
The seer was arrested by the police on September 1 late night and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. After questioning him, the police had got ‘potency test’ conducted on the seer on Saturday and conducted mahazar of the seer’s room at the mutt on Sunday. Producing the seer before the court, the investigating officer also submitted the mahazar report to the court.
Meanwhile, there were speculations about the third accused in the case being arrested, which however was ruled out by the district police.
Shifted
In a related development, all the inmates of the girls hostel on the mutt premises have been handed over to the custody of Children Welfare Committees of respective districts, from which the girls hail.
“In all, 105 students of class V to SSLC were in the hostel. Of them, 54 students returned to their respective native places with their parents. Among the remaining, 12 students were lodged at Balamandir and 37 were shifted to Morarji Residential School at Golayyanahatti. And two victims were sent to Balamandir”, District Child Protection Officer P. Lokeshwarappa has said.
He said that among the 49 students, 11 belonged to Chitradurga. As per the order from the department, the remaining 38 girls were handed over to child welfare committees of their respective districts. The students would be admitted to residential schools in their districts, he said.
Mass marriage
Meanwhile, six couples entered into wedlock in the mass marriage conducted at the mutt in the presence of in-charge head of the mutt Mahantha Rudreshwara Swami on Monday. Although seven couples had registered for the mass marriage, only six couples turned up. The seer said that from the last 32 years, mass marriages were being conducted and it was on the verge of being included in the Guinness Book of World record. He also clarified that the routine programmes and rituals were going on as usual and appealed to the devotees to visit the mutt without any fear.
