Shivamurthy Murugha Sharan Acquitted in Two POCSO Cases, Child-Rights Activists Raise Concerns
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A Chitradurga court has acquitted Shivamurthy Murugha Sharan, the seer of the Murugha Mutt, in two cases filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The cases alleged sexual harassment of minor girls residing in the mutt's hostel. The acquittal comes after nearly two years of investigations, during which the seer spent 14 months in jail. The cases were initially filed in Mysuru but later transferred to Chitradurga. Two of the accused, including the seer, were found not guilty by the Second Additional Sessions Court Judge Gangadharappa Hadapad. The acquittal has sparked concerns from child-rights activists, who claim that the investigation was marred by mistakes and that the government failed to challenge the judgment. Activist M.L. Parashuram stated that a conspiracy case was filed against them for questioning the lapses in the investigation. Another activist, K.V. Stanley, said the state should take the case forward and vowed to file an appeal if necessary. The seer's counsel, K.B. Swami, claimed that the court had found the seer and two others innocent in the first case. The seer himself remained tight-lipped after the verdict, stating that he would address the media in a formal press meet. Devotees gathered at the mutt, distributing sweets and raising slogans in support of the seer. A separate case of sexual harassment, registered on October 13, 2022, remains pending. The High Court granted conditional bail to the seer in November 2023, but he was taken into custody again after failing to secure bail in the second case. He eventually secured bail in October 2024 and was released from judicial custody.
