Mallikarjun Mutya of Mahal Roja Mutt in Yadgir district booked under POCSO Act

Police booked Mallikarjun Mutya of Mahal Roja Mutt in Yadgir district, in Karnataka, under the POCSO Act after a video of him allegedly misbehaving with a minor girl went viral.

On February 25, the Gogi police booked 30-year-old Mallikarjun Mutya of Mahal Roja Mutt in Shahapur taluk for allegedly misbehaving with a minor girl at the mutt, which is around 16 km from Shahapur, on February 19.

The video of him behaving in an allegedly improper manner with the minor girl went viral on social media platforms, and users discussed the incident and demanded action.

The police action came after Mallanna Umapathi, 41, Child Development Project Officer, Shahapur, lodged a complaint as per instructions issued by the District Child Welfare Committee, which conducted an enquiry with the girl and her parents as well.

Following the viral video, the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) had registered a suo moto case, and requested the Superintendent of Police Yadgir and District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) to submit a report on action taken based on the video, the FIR stated.

A DCPO team visited the mutt at Mahal Roja, and submitted a report to the Deputy Commissioner after conducting an enquiry with the girl’s parents.

Thereafter, the District Level Coordination Committee, headed by the Deputy Commissioner and comprising the Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer, the Superintendent of Police and the member-secretary of the District Legal Service Authority, held a meeting. They inspected the video and directed the DCPO to conduct an enquiry, and further directed them to take action based on the investigation report, the FIR stated.

The District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) enquired with the parents and also the girl, and came to the conclusion that the accused had intentionally touched the girl, and directed the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) to lodge a complaint against him.

The accused took the minor girl on his lap and behaved in an improper manner with her while the incident was filmed by the girl’s relative, who visited the mutt to celebrate a birthday.

The video was uploaded on an Instagram account with the intention to get more likes, the FIR quoted the girl’s parents as saying.

A case under Section 75 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita 2023, and Section 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act 2012 was registered, and an investigation is on.