The Madras High Court on Wednesday granted bail to self styled godman CN Siva Sankaran (commonly known as Siva Sankar Baba) accused under the POCSO act in various child sexual abuse cases. This is the eighth case filed against the godman. Recently, the Supreme Court had granted bail to the accused with the condition that he was not to go to the premises of the school from where the...
The Madras High Court on Wednesday granted bail to self styled godman CN Siva Sankaran (commonly known as Siva Sankar Baba) accused under the POCSO act in various child sexual abuse cases.
This is the eighth case filed against the godman. Recently, the Supreme Court had granted bail to the accused with the condition that he was not to go to the premises of the school from where the sexual harassment complaints were reported. The court had also warned that the bail shall be cancelled if the accused tried to influence the victims.
While granting the conditional bail, Justice G Jayachandran directed the accused to submit his passport and to co-operate with the investigation. The court further instructed the accused not to leave the state without giving prior information to the investigating officer. It was also directed that the conditions imposed by the Supreme Court shall also continue.
Background
C.N Shiva Shankaran, revered as C.N Siva Sankar Baba by devotees, has been the founder of Sushil Hari International Residential School, Kelambakkam. He has been accused of sexually harassing and misbehaving with the minor girl children studying in his school.
The self-styled God-Man has been booked for offences u/s 354, 363, 365, 366 r/w 109 IPC and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 2002 and Section 8, 10, 12 r/w 17 of the Protection of Child from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.
He was arrested from Delhi on 13th June pursuant to three different complaints lodged in an All Women Police Station, Mamallapuram.
On the basis of the Transit Warrant, the petitioner was brought over to Chennai and remanded to judicial custody. He was lodged in Central Prison, Puzhal, Chennai.
Case Title: Sivashankar Baba @ C.N. Sivasankaran v. State
Case No: CRL OP No. 8582 of 2022 (Criminal Laws)
Citation: 2022 Livelaw (Mad) 167