K'taka HC grants one week for victims' lawyer to reply on vakalat validity
Murugha Math seer rape case
Bengaluru, Oct 28: The Karnataka High Court on Friday granted a week's time to the advocate representing the survivors in the Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru rape case to file objections to the Lingayat seer's claim on the validity of the 'vakalat' filed on their behalf.
The pontiff has been in custody since September 1 in the case under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Two girls studying in a school run by Murugha Math in Chitradurga district had complained about sexual offences by Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, the chief pontiff of the math.
In the bail plea filed on behalf of the pontiff, the legality of the 'vakalat' filed on the girls' behalf has been questioned. The matter was heard by the single judge bench of Justice Srinivas Harish Kumar.
Swamini Ganesh Mohanambal, the advocate for the seer, argued that one Mani has filed the 'vakalat' on behalf of the girls claiming to be the guardian of the two children but there are no documents to show that the alleged victims have consented to the 'vakalat'.
The HC, therefore, granted one week time to file a written objection to this argument and adjourned the case.
Earlier in the day, police submitted a 694-page charge sheet in the Chitradurga district sessions court against the Murugha Math chief pontiff in the rape case.
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Probe into Zubeen Garg's death ongoing, no foul play suspected yet: Singapore police
Singapore (PTI): Investigations into the death of singer Zubeen Garg are ongoing but so far no foul play is suspected, Singapore police have said.
Garg died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19.
The case is currently still being investigated by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), in accordance with the Singapore Coroners Act 2010, the police said on Thursday.
“Based on our investigations so far, the SPF does not suspect foul play in the death of Garg,” said the statement.
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Upon completion of the investigations, the findings will be submitted to the State Coroner in Singapore, who will hold a Coroner’s Inquiry (CI), currently scheduled for January and February 2026.
A CI is a fact-finding process led by the Coroner to establish the cause and circumstances of death. Its findings will be made public upon conclusion, said the SPF.
Singapore police are committed to conducting a thorough and professional investigation into the case, it said.
“We seek the patience and understanding of the parties involved. Meanwhile, we urge the public not to speculate and spread unverified information,” said SPF.
A Special Investigation Team probing Garg's death charged four accused, including the singer’s secretary Siddhartha Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, with murder in a chargesheet filed in a court in India last week.
Garg was due to perform at the 4th Northeast India Festival at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre on September 20.
