Karnataka Godman Booked Under Pocso After Viral Video With Minor Causes Uproar

A self-styled godman in Karnataka’s Yadgir district has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act after a video showing him allegedly behaving inappropriately with a seven-year-old girl went viral, triggering public outrage.

The accused, identified as Mallikarjuna Muttava of a shrine in Shahapur, was seen in the video holding the child on his lap and kissing her in the presence of her parents.

The Karnataka State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights took cognisance of the video and directed authorities to initiate action, following which a police case was registered.

According to the Yadgir Superintendent of Police, a notice has been issued to the accused and the investigation is ongoing. The child and her parents have recorded their statements. The parents reportedly said they did not find the godman’s actions inappropriate and had themselves recorded and shared the video.

However, officials noted that the child appeared uncomfortable in the footage. After counselling, the Child Welfare Committee recommended that an FIR be filed.

District child protection officials visited the ashram, documented statements from the child and her parents — residents of Maharashtra’s Solapur — and submitted their findings.

Police have since registered a case under the Pocso Act and launched a detailed probe into the incident.