The high court on Monday ordered notice to the state government and the Chitradurga Rural police on a petition filed by Basavaprabhu Swami, in-charge pontiff of the Murugharajendra Bruhanmutt in Chitradurga.
The petitioner is seeking directions to entrust a senior woman police officer with the investigation of the complaint given by him alleging criminal conspiracy to trap the senior pontiff in a Pocso case.
Justice M Nagaprasanna adjourned the hearing of the case to February 10 while asking the government to submit a status report in the ongoing investigation.
The petitioner contended that the Chitradurga Rural police are conducting an investigation in an unprofessional manner in the complaint filed by him.
It was also alleged that the police are trying to protect a former MLA, against whom the seer has made allegations to falsely implicate Shivamurthy Murugha Sharana, the senior seer.
The petitioner stated that the police have made no efforts to secure the sim
card and other materials despite a viral phone conversation hinting at a criminal conspiracy to trap the senior seer.
It was also contended that one of the women accused in the complaint stated that she had thrown her mobile handset.