Karnataka: Godman booked under POCSO after touching minor in video
India
Mallikarjuna Muttava, a self-styled godman from Yadgir, Karnataka, has been booked under the POCSO Act after a video surfaced showing him inappropriately touching a seven-year-old girl.
The clip, shared online by the girl's parents from Maharashtra, quickly drew attention—even though they claimed nothing was wrong.
Child rights commission intervened after public outrage
The video showed the child clearly uncomfortable, which led to public outrage and action from Karnataka's child rights commission.
Officials visited the ashram, spoke with the girl and her parents, and after counseling sessions recommended an FIR.
Police have now registered a case against Muttava and launched an active investigation—raising fresh concerns about child safety in religious spaces.