Bengaluru, November 8: The Karnataka High Court has granted conditional bail on Wednesday to the rape accused Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru of the famous Murugha Mutt in Chitradurga district in connection with the sensational Lingayat mutt sex scandal.

The High Court Bench headed by Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar had restrained the accused seer from entering the premises of the mutt and also directed him to surrender the passport to the court. He has also been asked to provide two sureties. Karnataka: Dr Siddalinga Swamy, Lingayat Seer of Basava Theertha Mutt, Forges Court Verdict, Government Orders Lodging of Criminal Case.

The court also stated that he should appear before it through video conferencing. However, sources say that despite the bail order, the release of the seer is doubtful as he is also facing rape charges in two other cases. The bail petitions of the seer in these cases are still pending before the court. Karnataka BJP MLA Ticket Scam: Questions Raised on Probe by CCB Police As Lingayat Mutt Seer Abhinava Halasri Still at Large.

The seer is facing charges under the Pocso Act, IPC sections, Atrocity Act, Juvenile Justice Act and Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act. He was arrested after a high drama on September 1, 2022 and he has been lodged in jail since then.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 08, 2023 06:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).