A day after the 10-year-old girl from Chittapur taluk, who had been pushed into the banned Devadasi practice five years ago was rescued, the Kalaburagi police arrested her parents and the priest who had performed the rituals.
Based on a complaint filed by the Devadasi Dedication Prohibition Officer Yelgurupadappa at Kalagi police Station, the police arrested three of the six accused. The police said the victim’s parents and Sharanappa, priest of Sammavva temple at Mavinsur village in Chittapur taluk in the district, had been arrested. They are on the trail of the remaining three accused — Salma and Sridevi, teachers, and an anganwadi worker, Seetuja.
Vittal Chikkani, member of the Child Welfare Committee, who was part of the rescue operation, said that though the practice of Devadasi is banned under the Karnataka Devadasi (Prohibition of Dedication) Act, 1982, it is secretly followed in some nooks of the State.
The Karnataka State Child Rights Commission has constituted a seven-member committee to compile the information related to various aspects of the case and submit a report to the commission within 15 days.