K'taka Lingayat sex scandal: Court objects to shifting of accused seer to hospital

Chitradurga, (Karnataka) Sep 2

A local court here on Friday hauled up the police for shifting Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, accused of raping minor girls, to a hospital without permission.

The II Additional District and Sessions' court in Chitradurga also asked the jailer to immediately produce the accused. Following the orders, the authorities are preparing to produce the accused seer before the judge from the hospital.

Sharanaru is being treated for heart complications in the ICU of Chitradurga District Hospital. The doctors said that he will be shifted to a Bengaluru hospital for additional treatment.

While looking into the police's petition seeking five-day custody of the seer for investigation, the court asked why the accused was not presented before the court.

At this, the prosecution maintained that the accused seer is in the hospital. Taking a strong objection to it, the court questioned why did the prosecution not seek it's permission in this regard. Though the prosecution sought permission for presenting the accused through video conferencing, the court refused.

With this development, chances of accused seer being shifted to Bengaluru looks bleak, say sources.

The accused seer was arrested on Thursday night and he is being handed over to judicial custody by the local court. He faces charges under the POCSO and SC, ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.