Third case filed against mutt’s former pontiff
CHITRADURGA: The Chitradurga rural police in Karnataka have registered an FIR against Jagadguru Murugarajendra Vidyapeetha Mutt’s former pontiff Shivamurthy Muruga Sharanaru and four others for allegedly keeping abandoned children in an orphanage run by the mutt without following due procedures, officials said.
Sharanaru is currently in jail after he was arrested in a sexual assault case under the POCSO Act last month. A similar new case was filed against him last week.
The latest case, under Juvenile Justice Act, was registered on basis of a complaint by district child protection unit officer P Lokeshwarappa, following orders from the child welfare committee (CWC), Chitradurga rural police circle inspector Balachandra Naik said. “We have filed a case against Sharanaru, orphanage manager Parama Shivaiah, warden Rashmi and in-charge Veena based on a complaint lodged by a child protection officer,” Naik said.
Lokeshwarappa said the complaint was filed amid allegations that the orphanage had failed to follow protocols. “Out of 11 orphans, a 16-year-old girl and a four-year-old girl were not found to be registered with the CWC.”
HT had reported on October 18 that a food vendor, who runs a stall near the mutt, alleged she had found an abandoned newborn baby nearby four years ago. Speaking
to local media, she said while she took the baby home, a few men from the mutt later took away the baby. Authorities in the mutt refused to comment on the matter. Orphanages need to inform the CWC in case of discovery of an abandoned child, advocate Dr M K Madhu Kumar said.