Small Industries Minister and District Director Sharanabasappa Darshanapur said the case registered against Mallikarjun Mutya, head of a mutt at Mahal Roja village in Shahapur taluk of Yadgir district, has been completed expeditiously.
It was not inappropriate behavior on the part of Mutya as reported, the minister added.
Speaking to mediapersons in Yadgir on Monday, Mr. Darshanapur said that the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights acted swiftly and directed that the case be registered.
When the twisted video went viral on social media platforms as well as TV channels, the Commission acted swiftly.
“I saw the video; I did not find anything inappropriate in it. Mutya is seen expressing his affection for the minor in front of the parents who met me and broke down over the way it was highlighted,” the minister said.
When asked about the withdrawal of the case as demanded by the devotees, the minister responded sharply that the case could not be registered as he had done nothing wrong.
When asked about the current tension in the Persian Gulf region, the minister promised that the government would take steps to protect people from the state who are stuck there.
Targeting the media for spreading rumours, he said there was no chance of a change in the state leadership.
MLA Channareddy Patil Tunnur and others were present.
Published – 02 March 2026 20:22 IST
