Silvester D’ Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)
Kundapur, Mar 15: Udupi police have arrested the secretary of a trust and another accused on charges of rape of orphaned minor girls at Spoorthidhama in Kedur.
Kota police arrested Keshava Koteshwar, secretary of Spoorthidhama on Wednesday night after registering a complaint based on his statement. Another suspect Hanumanthappa, a Nooji resident, was arrested on Tuesday night itself. Keshava was arrested after questioning Hanumanthappa.
The suspects have been produced in the court.
Keshava Koteshwar
It was by chance that Kota station police came across ten-year-old girl, who came searching for her guardians from Spoorthidhama. She said that she will never go back to Spoorthidhama. Police arrested two suspects after the girl said that she is not comfortable to stay in Spoorthidhama as young men come there and sexually harassed her.
The children disclosed shocking news that Hanumanthappa used to come inside Spoorthidhama with the help of a rope. He used to give biryani to the children at the trust, persuade and rape them. Though the girl mentioned Hanumanthappa, she did not name Keshava. When enquired, other five children told about the rapes of children. One of them had said that Keshava raped children too. He has been booked case under POCSO Act.
The ten-year-old girl is from Shivamogga. Spoorthidhama, is a trust looking after children without parents. She was handed over to a family of Koppalu, Kuppepadav on January 14 as per adoption rules. But she was finding it difficult to adjust there. She vomited blood all of a sudden on a day. Her guardians took her to the doctors and it was found that the girl had swallowed powdered stone. Therefore, the guardians took her on March 12 saying that they are not able to look after her. The adoption process was pending in the court and the girl refused to remain in Spoorthidhama and came out without telling anybody the same day at 4 pm.
Spoorthidhama has been given the right to give children for adoption. Locals complain that Keshava, who has made it his business, has cheated many families. There were allegations of violations in old age home also. Illegal activities were carried out for the last several years with the support of secretary Keshava Koteshwar at the trust and the concerned department had ignored open statements by Koteshwar’s wife Pramila Vaz also.
However, children welfare committee president Ronald Patrao said that he had no information about it. “As I am in Bengaluru, I could not see the file. I do not know about POCSO Act. The Act does not come under CWC purview”, he said. Some alleged that it is an attempt to close the case.
Local Yuvaka Mandala members allege that Koteshwar is a criminal. “The organization was started in the name of Koragas. But the funds are used by himself,” they allege. It is alleged that he used to harass old people depriving them of food at old age home.
A case of sexual and physical harassment to Dalits was also registered against him. The hearing of the case is in progress in the court. Children who fled from the trust speak of his assaults. His wife too had alleged extramarital relationship with his student.