Karnataka: Religious seer, assistant arrested for sexually exploiting minor girl

Authorities stated that the suspect serves as the leader of a prominent religious institution in a village located within Kunigal taluk. Allegedly, the accused pontiff sexually harassed the underage girl within the mutt's premises.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Police have arrested a well-known religious pontiff and his assistant in connection with a case of sexually exploiting a minor girl on Friday.

Police said that the accused is the head of a well-known religious mutt at a village in Kunigal taluk. The accused pontiff had allegedly sexually harassed the minor girl inside the premises of the mutt.

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Sources said that the accused pontiff and his assistant had filed a counter-complaint after the allegations came out against them with the Tumakuru Cyber police station.

The accused said in the complaint that the pontiff was asked to strip on the pretext of administering treatment for skin disease and, during this time, the accused video-recorded the victim and later sexually exploited her.

However, the police during the investigation found that the minor girl was sexually exploited by the pontiff and arrested them under the provisions of the Pocso Act.