K'taka Lingayat mutt sex scandal: Accused seer drugged, abused girls

Karnataka Lingayat mutt sex scandal: Accused seer drugged, abused girls

by Argus News

K'taka Lingayat mutt sex scandal: Accused seer drugged, abused girls

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Rape-accused Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murthy Murugha Sharanaru allegedly drugged minor girls residing in the Chitradurga Murugha Mutt before violating them, police investigation has revealed.

Chitradurga, Nov 7: Rape-accused Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murthy Murugha Sharanaru allegedly drugged minor girls residing in the Chitradurga Murugha Mutt before violating them, police investigation has revealed.

Currently in judicial custody, the accused seer used to direct other accused to send a minor girl of his choice every day to his private room in the garb of seeking his special blessings.

The abuse was so rampant that the seer had allegedly fixed a routine as to which girl to be sent to him on a particular day.

The children were sent to clean his private room where the accused would give them a chocolate or an apple laced with drugs.

After they lost consciousness, the seer would abuse them. The accused seer kept the victims at his private room throughout the night. Children who would wake up derobed and the seer beside them would get shocked, police sources said.

Then the accused seer would threaten them and instill fear. He also threatened to eliminate their families if the girls revealed about the incident. The victims, already in trauma, would remain tight-lipped, police said.

The seer would ask them to clean his back and lower back while taking a bath and abuse them. The second accused in the case, hostel warden, would monitor the situation and ensure that no one gets suspicious about what is happening around them.

Sharanaru would look for sexual assault victims and offer shelter at his mutt. He also extended financial help to their families. As a result, the families would praise the seer and call him "God".

As the word of mouth spread, parents never thought twice about their children's safety. They would tell the children that they are taken care of by the "God" himself. This made the victims even more hesitant to open up, police said.

Police have got information about several elderly women also getting raped by the accused seer. One of the minor girl victims who was seen as a threat was allegedly killed and called an accident.

The victims were chosen considering their poor background. Orphans or daughters of single parents were preferred. If they refused to go to his room, they were confined, starved and punished severely, police sources claimed.

Most of the details are being mentioned in the two charge-sheets submitted against the accused seer and others to the court.

On August 26, the first POCSO and Atrocity case was lodged against the seer. The second case under similar provisions was filed on October 13. Following high drama the accused seer was arrested on September 1.

Meanwhile, as the accused is refusing to step down as the head of Chitradurga mutt, a delegation had met the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and discussed the appointment of a new pontiff. Sources within mutt, state that the accused seer is in full control of the mutt and taking decisions.

District Commissioner Divya Prabhu is expected to submit a report on the affairs of the Chitradurga mutt to the government on Monday.

(IANS)

First Odia Woman Scientist Swati Nayak Wins Norman Borlaug Award

by Manisha Das

Bhubaneswar, Sept 22: Odia scientist Dr Swati Nayak has been named the 2023 recipient of the Norman E. Borlaug Award for field research and application for her work in the field of food and nutrition.

The award, instituted by the World Food Prize Foundation, is named in honour of Nobel Laureate and Green Revolution’s chief architect Dr. Norman E Borlaug.

A scientist and South Asia Lead for Seed System and Product Management at International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Dr Nayak was selected for the award for her innovative approach to engaging farmers in demand-driven rice seed systems.

She will be the third Indian and first from Odisha to receive this prestigious award. It is for the second consecutive year that a scientist from the country has been picked for the award. Dr. Mahalingam Govindaraj, Senior Scientist for Crop Development with HarvestPlus at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, was the 2022 recipient.

Meanwhile, in India, after the award was announced to Nayak, she was congratulated by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Odisha Governor Professor Ganeshi Lala, and Union Cabinet Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who hails from Odisha.

President Droupadi Murmu has also congratulated Odia scientist Dr. Swati Nayak for being selected to get the prestigious Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Award for her outstanding Field Research and Application.

Also Read: Odisha News

World Rhino Day To Save The 5 Rhino Species

by Swati Sucharita

Bhubaneswar, Sept 22: World Rhino Day is observed by environmentalists, conservationists, wildlife enthusiasts and organisations to celebrate the rhinoceros. The day is observed to spread awareness and conserve rhinos.

There are five species of rhino that are on the verge of extinction and their lifeline needs to be conserved.These are white rhino, black rhino, greater one horned rhino, Sumatran rhino and the Javan rhino.The rhinos are humongous weighing 600 to 3500 kilograms.

The One-horned rhinoceros found in India, has a Vulnerable status of the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (it is threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatening its survival and reproduction improve).

According to the State of Rhino Report 2022, released by the International Rhino Foundation, the greater one-horned rhino population in India stood at 3,262, with Assam’s Kaziranga National Park reporting the highest number of rhinos at 2,613.

They are rarely aggresive but can be seen to be highly protective of their calves.

Allegations Of 2nd Marriage & Bigamy Not Relevant In Deciding Validity Of Will: SC

by Manisha Das

New Delhi, Sep 22: The Supreme Court has observed that allegations of second marriage and bigamy are not relevant in deciding the validity of the Will.

A bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Sanjay Karol made these observations as it heard a special leave petition filed against judgment of the Madhya Pradesh High Court where the HC had confirmed the order of the civil court upholding the validity of the Will.

“As far as the allegations of second marriage and bigamy are concerned, we refrain from entertaining such submissions as the same is not a relevant factor in deciding the main list, which is confined to the validity of the Will,” held the bench and dismissed the appeal saying that it is “bereft of any merit.”

The top court noted that the Will was duly executed by the testator in the presence of witnesses out of his free Will in a sound disposing state of mind and the same stands proven through the testimony of one of the attesting witnesses, who was examined by the civil court.

Further, this witness categorically stated that the testator executed the Will in question and both he and the testator signed the Will in the presence of each other.

“Since the validity of the Will stands proven according to settled principles of law, consequential benefits be disbursed accordingly,” ordered the Supreme Court.

(IANS)

Also Read: National News

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K'taka Lingayat mutt sex scandal: Accused seer drugged, abused girls

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