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Apex child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has taken suo-moto cognisance of the case of alleged rape of minor children by the head of the Murugha Mutt in Chitradurga and has issued a notice to the SP, Chitradurga, to conduct an inquiry and submit a report in a week’s time.
Two minor girls have accused the Muruga Mutt head Shivamurthy Muruga Sharanaru and three others of rape and sexual assault, following which a case was lodged by the Mysuru police on August 26 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012, and section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rape. The girls have recorded their statement before a magistrate. Meanwhile, the district police on Tuesday invoked the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (Act) against the accused as one of the victims belongs to the SC community.
The NCPCR said it is mandated under the law to monitor the proper and effective implementation of Pocso Act, 2012, among the others. It said it has taken suo-moto cognisance of the case under Section 13(1)(i) of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act,2005.
The Commission has asked the SP to furnish a number of records including age proof of the minor victims, copy of the FIR, statements recorded under section 164 of CrPC, present status of the investigation, the victims and action taken against the accused and status of interim compensation provided to victim.
The girls were rescued by a Mysore-based NGO Odanadi that has flagged the delay in the arrest of the seer, and said the investigation had violated many child rights.
“The girls were not allowed to take a counsellor with them to Chitradurga..they were taken to the mutt after the complain was made at a time when devotees were there in large numbers.. we feel this was only to break their will. It’s completely against child laws in the country,” Stanly who runs the NGO had told ET.
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