‘Expelled’ head of Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Guru Peetha of Harihar Sri Vachanananda Swami appeared for questioning at Harihar Rural police station in Davangere district in connection with a case under POCSO Act, on May 14.

The seer has been accused of inappropriate behaviour with a minor boy who was staying in the free hostel run by the mutt in Harihar. As soon as the allegations surfaced, the seer had approached a court on April 21. He was granted anticipatory bail by the First Additional District and Session Court (POCSO special court).

The complaint was filed at Laxmeshwar police station in Gadag district by the mother of a 16-year-old boy. After registering a case under the POCSO Act, it was subsequently transferred to Harihar Rural police station. The hostel is located in the jurisdiction of Harihar Rural police station.

In her complaint, the boy’s mother accused the seer of getting massages from her son and other minor boys.

The boy stayed in the hostel run by the mutt between 2021 and 2024. It is alleged in the complaint that the seer used to enter the bathrooms when the minor boys were bathing, and force them to give him a body massage, including his private parts. The complaint also accuses the seer of threatening the boys with dire consequences if they disclosed these activities to anyone.

The seer was expelled by the trust of the Guru Peetha on April 13 after expiration of the deadline given by the trustees to abdicate the Shwaas Yoga Peetha in Bengaluru. This had let to a series of developments with the seer refusing to leave the mutt and a section of devotees accusing the trustees of misappropriation. A few trustees had accused the seer of getting body massages from minor boys.

Inquiry by child welfare committee

The Davangere district child welfare committee is reportedly in the final stage of submitting an inquiry report on a complaint filed by three other inmates of the hostel in April.

The boys had complained to the committee about being abused and assaulted by the seer, and not being given medicine during sickness.

Subsequently the committee led by its President Manjula Mahesh visited the Guru Peetha on April 17 to inquire into the issue and the committee had also recorded statements of the seer and others.