K’taka Police to grill rape accused Lingayat seer

Chitradurga (Karnataka): The Karnataka Police will on Saturday question rape accused Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru in connection with the sexual exploitation of minor girls.

Police sources said a team of officers headed by Investigation Officer Deputy SP Anil Kumar will begin the grilling at his office.

The team questioned the accused seer on Friday for two hours regarding the case, they added.

Second District and Sessions’ Court Judge B.K. Komala has taken the prosecution to task for shifting the accused seer to A hospital without notifying the court.

The police are likely to grill the seer for sexually assaulting on minor girls and will also expected to look into allegations that he made the crime a habit in the mutt.

Meanwhile, district surgeon Basavaraju, who said that the seer has developed heart complications, has also come under the radar.

The court also rejected the request of the seer’s counsel to provide him ‘Saatvik food’ and instead asked authorities to serve him regular prison food.

The second accused in the case, hostel warden Rashmi, has been sent to a 14-day judicial custody and shifted to the Shivamogga central jail as there is no prison for women in Chitradurga.

Meanwhile, the police are searching for other three accused persons, including minor junior pontiff Basavaditya Swamiji, who are absconding.

They have filed anticipatory bail applications before the court.

On Friday, the accused seer broke down in the court hall and wept when the court handed him over to the police custody, sources explain.

(IANS)