Seer rape case: Anticipatory bail to city advocate

The High Court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to advocate Arun Shyam, accused number two in fresh rape case registered against Ramachandrapura Mutt pontiff Raghaveshwara Bharathi in the Girinagar police station.

The petitioner had contended that there has been a false case registered against him and that there was a delay in registering the complaint itself.  The State Public Prosecutor (SPP) said that as the petition was a moved matter and the government was not ready with its objections, conditional bail can be granted for 10 days.

The SPP said that complaint has been registered with the Girinagar police against the seer under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 342 (wrongful confinement), 323 (causing hurt), 363 (kidnap) and 506 (criminal intimidation). Arun Shyam was booked under Sections 364 (kidnap) and 506 (criminal intimidation).  The complainant has stated that the seer sexually abused her, then a minor, in the mutt in 2006. Later in 2012, she was kidnapped by a few men, including Arun Shyam, and took her to the mutt.  As the SPP was not ready with his objections, Justice L Narayanaswamy granted interim anticipatory bail for 10 days till September 10, 2015.

Gaffe by SPP

The SPP during the hearing of the anticipatory matter revealed the name of the complainant or the  rape victim in the open court hall.  As per the guidelines, the name of the rape victim is not supposed to be revealed even during the court proceedings.  However, SPP mentioned the name several times during the hearing.