Shivamurthy Murugha Sharan Acquitted in 2022 Pocso Case, Child Rights Activists Vow to Challenge Verdict

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A Chitradurga court has acquitted Shivamurthy Murugha Sharan, the leader of the Murugha Mutt, in a 2022 case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. The case involved allegations of sexual harassment by the pontiff and others against minor girls residing in the mutt's hostel. Judge Gangadharappa Hadapad found the pontiff and two co-accused not guilty of the charges. The acquittal has sparked concerns among child rights activists, who claim that investigators made several mistakes during the probe, including the failure to submit crucial documents. Activists associated with Odanadi Seva Samsthe, which supported the complainants, have vowed to challenge the verdict. 'The system stood with the accused; no one stood with the children,' said KV Stanley, a child rights activist. The case was initially registered in August 2022 after two minors alleged sexual abuse by five individuals, including the leader, a warden, and others. The FIR was filed under the Pocso Act and the Indian Penal Code. Two names were dropped from the charge sheet in October 2022, citing a lack of merit in the FIR. A separate case of sexual harassment is still pending, in which the pontiff is accused of sexually abusing two minor daughters of an employee at the mutt. The high court granted conditional bail to the pontiff in November 2023, but he was taken into custody again after failing to secure bail in the second case. The acquittal has sparked celebrations among the pontiff's devotees, who gathered at the mutt and raised slogans in his support. However, child rights activists remain committed to ensuring justice for the victims and will consider filing an appeal if the government fails to challenge the verdict.