Davanagere: Police have concluded the probe into the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) case registered against Vachanananda Swami, who was expelled from the Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Gurupeeth in Harihar and faces allegations of sexually assaulting a boy, and have submitted a chargesheet in court.
The inquiry was completed within a month of registration, and the chargesheet, running to over 100 pages, was filed before the district’s special Pocso court on June 6. It carries evidence along with statements from several individuals, including the minor survivor and his schoolmates.
The chargesheet also includes a report prepared by the District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on claims that boys residing in the hostel were exploited and abused. Sources indicated that only a few medical and forensic laboratory reports are still awaited.
On May 5, the mother of the 16-year-old survivor filed a Pocso complaint against Vachanananda Swamiji at Lakshmeshwar police station in Gadag district. After the case was transferred to the Harihar Rural police station, which has jurisdiction over the alleged incident, police intensified their investigation. The seer, who obtained anticipatory bail, was called to the station and questioned several times.
“This is a serious Pocso case, and police should have conducted a detailed investigation. However, they finished the probe within three weeks of registering the FIR. The hurried filing of the chargesheet raises doubts. The police appear to have yielded to external pressure and seem intent on falsely implicating the seer,” said SV Patil, counsel for the seer, speaking to reporters.
Court Keeps Bail Order Pending Till June 18
The district’s special Pocso court, after hearing the police plea seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Vachanananda Swamiji, has kept its order pending until June 18. Police from Harihar Rural station moved the court to cancel the anticipatory bail, stating that it was obtained even before the case was officially registered. After hearing both parties and recording the statement of the minor survivor, the court reserved its final order.
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