Self-styled godman booked under POCSO in Karnataka's Yadgir
Yadgir (Karnataka)(PTI): A case under the POCSO Act has been registered against a self-styled godman here after a video purportedly showing him inappropriately touching a seven-year-old girl went viral, sparking outrage, police said on Thursday.
The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights took cognisance of the alleged video and registered a case on its own against the self-styled godman, identified as Mallikarjuna Muthya in Shahpur, they said.
The commission has also written to the Yadgir Superintendent of Police, seeking a probe and submission of a report in the matter, officials added.
The purported video allegedly shows 26-year-old Muthya holding the child in his lap, inappropriately touching and kissing her in the presence of her parents.
Officials noted that the footage, however, appeared to show the child looking uncomfortable.
"Based on a complaint given to us by the Child Development Project Officer yesterday (February 25), we have registered a case under relevant sections of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. We have recorded the statements of the girl and her parents, who claimed they did not find his actions inappropriate or felt it was a bad touch," a senior police officer said.
A notice has been issued to Muthya in this regard, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
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PM Modi visits Yad Vashem memorial, pays tributes to victims of Holocaust
Jerusalem (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited Yad Vashem memorial here and paid tributes to the victims of the Holocaust.
PM Modi was accompanied by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Honouring the memory of victims of the Holocaust and renewing our shared commitment to uphold peace and human dignity. PM @narendramodi visited Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.
Modi laid a wreath and paid homage to the victims of the Holocaust. He also visited the poignant Book of Names Hall, a powerful tribute preserving the memory of millions who perished during the holocaust.
"The memorial stands as a solemn reminder of the brutality of the past and our collective resolve to stand against injustice and create a better world," Jaiswal said.
This was the second visit of Prime Minister Modi to Yad Vashem.
Established in 1953 by an act of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), Yad Vashem is entrusted with Holocaust commemoration, documentation, research and education.
Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit to the country. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years. The India-Israel relationship was elevated to the level of strategic partnership during his first visit to that country in July 2017.
