NGO Odanadi urges CBI probe in Karnataka girls' sexual abuse case
arrested pontiff undergoes potency test
Bengaluru, Sep 4: The Mysuru-based non-government organisation, which helped book a case against the chief pontiff of Murugha Math in the minor girls' sexual abuse case, on Sunday demanded that a CBI or a court-monitored inquiry should be conducted against the seer as some people in the administration were colluding to protect him.
Speaking to PTI, Stanly K Varghese, director of NGO 'Odanadi', said a high-level probe was necessary against Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru because there were media reports of many missing girls from the hostel, including the granddaughter of a blind man.
"In their statement, they (survivors) have mentioned about three more (missing) girls. That is evident in their statement. I am not talking in a vague manner. There are many girls, but they (survivors) have identified or recognised at least three girls who are there. Their names are mentioned (in the complaint)," Varghese said.
"Some mysterious deaths have happened, some girls went missing, some girls got married after rape, with the pontiff's support, some ladies got compensation for the rape by the pontiff," Varghese said.
The NGO director said the delay in the seer's arrest and the role of the child welfare committee of Chitradurga point to collusion.
"The system worked systematically in favour of the accused. I don't want to give a political or religious colour but the law-and-order system, the CWC of Chitradurga, hospital authorities, jail authorities, they all worked in favour of the accused. Even the medical officer was saying that the Swamiji got a heart attack, which is not true. After that, Swamiji became all right in the court," the director of Odanadi said.
Varghese was referring to a district medical officer's statement who had said that the seer would be shifted to a hospital in Bengaluru as he had developed some cardiac-related issue after his arrest.
Meanwhile, the seer was subjected to potency and DNA tests, sources in the medical department said.
"He underwent the potency test on Saturday. We also took samples of his blood and hair for DNA test," a medical officer in Chitradurga told PTI.
The officer refused to disclose the outcome saying that such things cannot be shared with media but will be presented to the court, which is hearing the case.
Sharanaru was arrested on Thursday following a case registered under provisions of the POCSO Act and ST/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against him for allegedly sexually harassing two minor girls studying in the high school.
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Lakhimpur Kheri violence case: SC expresses disappointment over non-production of witnesses in trial
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday expressed disappointment over the non-production of witnesses in the ongoing trial against Ashish Mishra, son of former Union minister Ajay Mishra, and others in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the status report filed before it by the Uttar Pradesh government has not assigned any reason whatsoever for the non-production of witnesses.
It noted that no witnesses have been examined in the trial for the last two months.
"We direct the presiding judge to take lawful measures to secure the presence of witnesses," the bench said.
It asked the trial judge to make an endeavour to conclude the trial in a time-bound manner, and also to file a status report before it.
The trials in two cases related to the incident are going on before a court in Uttar Pradesh.
The bench noted that in the first case, out of 131 witnesses to be examined, 44 have been examined, 15 have been discharged and 72 are still to be produced.
In the second FIR, out of 35 witnesses, 26 have been examined and nine were left, it said.
Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for Ashish Mishra, said that as per the latest status report filed by Uttar Pradesh, 44 witnesses have been examined so far in the first FIR.
"No witnesses have been examined in the last two months," Dave said.
He argued that the last status report filed by the state in March also said that 44 witnesses had been examined.
"What have you done from March till today?" the bench asked the counsel appearing for Uttar Pradesh.
The state's counsel said that 3-4 witnesses were summoned for the recording of their deposition during the trial.
The bench said at least 7-8 witnesses should be summoned instead of three or four for a day, so that even if some of them do not turn up, the trial court could proceed with the recording of statements of those appearing before it.
The top court also wondered how official witnesses can remain absent during the trial.
"We are disappointed to note that the so-called status report does not assign any reason whatsoever for non-production of witnesses...," the bench said.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the relatives of the farmers who were allegedly mowed down in the incident, said the apex court will have to do something regarding the manner in which the trial was going on.
The bench noted that besides the two FIRs, another FIR was registered in October last year concerning alleged witness intimidation.
It said that, as per the state's status report, the chargesheet was filed against the main accused in that case.
The bench noted that the status report reveals that, as far as Ashish Mishra is concerned, his alleged role in the third case is still being investigated.
The top court directed the investigating officer of the third case to conclude the pending probe and ensure that the appropriate report is filed before the concerned court within four weeks.
The bench posted the next hearing in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case for July.
On October 3, 2021, eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Tikunia in Lakhimpur Kheri district during a protest by farmers against Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.
Four farmers were mowed down by a sports utility vehicle. A driver and two BJP workers were then allegedly lynched by angry farmers. A journalist also died in the violence.
In one of the cases, the trial court in December 2023 framed charges against Mishra and 12 others for alleged murder, criminal conspiracy and under other penal laws in the case of the farmers' deaths, paving the way for the trial.
