POCSO case accused Murugha Math seer Shivamurthy Muruga Sharanaru released on bail
Chitradurga (Karnataka), Oct 7: A court here on Monday granted bail to Murugha Math seer Shivamurthy Sharanaru, following the completion of interrogation of witnesses in the sexual harassment case, lodged against him under the POCSO Act.
He was imprisoned in the Chitradurga district prison after his arrest in September 2022.
The seer's arrest followed complaints of sexual misconduct from girls at a Math-run institution, with the help of the Mysuru-based NGO 'Odanadi'.
Following the 2nd Additional District and Sessions Court of Chitradurga granting bail, Sharana walked out of the jail, and expressed hope that "truth will win".
"...I will only say that because of the grace of God, I'm out of jail today. I will be going to Shivayogi ashrama in Davanagere....will speak in detail later, it is time to remain silent now. The legal fight is on, I'm hopeful that the truth will win...I have already told devotees what I have to, legal fight will continue," he told reporters here.
Although the Karnataka High Court had initially granted him bail in November 2023, the decision was challenged in the Supreme Court, which had ruled that he would only be released after the interrogation of 13 witnesses.
Basavaprabhu Swami, the interim chief of Murugha Math, expressed satisfaction with the court's decision, saying, "We are happy that he has finally been released from prison."
Swami added that while the seer had been barred from entering Chitradurga district, he would reside at a Math unit in nearby district headquarters town of Davangere and continue to contest the charges legally.
Shivamurthy Sharana was arrested in 2022, followed by the detention of several other individuals connected to the case, including the warden of the Math-run hostel and a junior pontiff. Three FIRs were registered against him. The first, filed on August 26, 2022, included charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Another, on October 13, 2022, was lodged by a cook employed at the Math, alleging that the seer had sexually assaulted four girls, including her daughters.
A third case, filed in October 2022, accused the Math of concealing information about minors living on the premises.
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UP: Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially constructed bridge, 3 dead
Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024
