Court restricts powers of Murugha mutt seer

The Second Additional District and Sessions Court on Thursday issued an order restricting the powers of Murugha Mutt seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharana, who is booked for allegedly sexually abusing minor girls and is in judicial custody.

Judge B K Komala pronounced the order.

The court has restricted the authority of the seer in the affairs of the mutt and SJM Vidyapeetha under section eight of The Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988.

Chitradurga police had observed violation of The Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988, while investigating Pocso case registered against the seer on August 28.

So, the investigation officer had mentioned it in the charge sheet submitted to the court. Public Prosecutor K B Nagaveni filed a petition in the court seeking restriction of the powers of the seer.

The seer had granted general power of attorney to the Mutt in-charge seer Basavaprabhu Swami and retired judge S B Vasthradmath as he was in the judicial custody.