Daijiworld Media Network – Davanagere

Davanagere, May 14: Expelled seer of the Harihara Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha, Vachanananda Swamiji, has landed in major legal trouble after a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered against him for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor boy.

According to the police, the parents of the 14-year-old victim had initially lodged a complaint last week at the Lakshmeshwara police station in Gadag district, where a 'Zero FIR' was registered.

However, since the alleged crime occurred while the boy was residing and studying at a hostel run by the Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Gurupeetha in Harihara, the case was recently transferred to the Harihara Rural police station in Davanagere district.

Allegations of exploitation and threats

The complainant has alleged that the Swamiji harassed and sexually exploited the minor boy. It is alleged that the seer forced the boy to give him massages and threatened him with severe consequences if he revealed the ordeal to anyone.

The Harihara police have initiated an investigation after registering the POCSO case. The Superintendent of Police stated that the case is being handled with utmost sensitivity.

"The statements of the complainant and the minor boy have been officially recorded. The boy's medical examination is currently underway. A detailed investigation is in progress, and all allegations are being thoroughly verified," the police stated on Wednesday.

Prior complaints to CWC

This development comes shortly after Peetha trustee Chandrashekar Poojar levied serious allegations against Vachanananda, referring to him as a 'massage-loving' Swamiji. Following these public allegations, three children from the Peetha's hostel had also approached the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to file complaints against the seer, adding to the mounting pressure that eventually led to his expulsion from the Peetha.