Pocso case lodged against Vachanananda Swami

Davanagere: A case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act against the dismissed head of the Panchamasali Gurupitha, Vachanananda Swamiji, for allegedly sexually assaulting a boy who was studying at the Gurupitha in Harihar.

The ‘zero’ FIR was initially filed at Lakshmeshwar police station in Gadag district, and now it has been transferred to the Harihar Rural police station, where the incident occurred. Police have launched an investigation, and have taken a statement from the mother of the 16-year-old victim who filed the complaint.

The victim’s mother has alleged in her complaint, that Vachanananda Swamiji used to get massages from boys. “The victim is now 16 years old. He studied classes VI, VII, and VIII at a government school in Hanagavadi, Harihar taluk, and resided in the mutt hostel from 2021 to 2024. Sexual assault occurred during this period. Before going to school, her son would take a bath, and the seer would allegedly enter the bathroom, make the children undress, and himself get naked. He allegedly got massages all over his body, including private parts, and sexually assaulted the children by touching their private parts, threatening them not to disclose the incidents,” she alleged.

Davanagere SP HT Shekhar said that the investigation has begun, and that the statement of the victim will be recorded.

Vachanananda Swamiji was dismissed from the Panchamasali Gurupitha by the trust on April 13, after he allegedly failed to comply with the trust’s directive to leave the Shwasayoga Peetha in Bengaluru. As the controversy escalated, allegations emerged that the swamiji used to get massages from the boys residing in the mutt. Three boys from the hostel filed a complaint with the District Child Welfare Committee, stating that the swamiji would hit them, use abusive language, and deny them medicine when they were unwell. A delegation led by the committee’s chairperson Manjula Mahesh, visited the mutt on April 17, and recorded statements from several individuals, including the swamiji.

The boy victims have been counselled in three phases, and a report is being prepared, which will soon be submitted to the Harihar Rural police station, the committee said.

Vachanananda Swamiji had approached the court and obtained anticipatory bail on May 2, making his arrest unlikely. He had applied for anticipatory bail under Section 482 of the IPC on April 21, which was granted by the 1st additional district and sessions court after a hearing.

However, prohibitory order continued to be in force in the mutt after clashes between the trust and swamiji’s followers on May 4.