Madras HC grants bail to Sivashankar Baba in Pocso case

In a major relief to the self-styled godman CN Shiva Shankaran aka Siva Shankar Baba, the Madras High Court on Wednesday granted conditional bail to him in the eighth case booked by the police under the Pocso Act on charges of sexually harassing school students who studied at his private school.

Justice G Jayachandran passed the orders to enlarge the Siva Sankar Baba on bail upon hearing the criminal original petition filed by the latter. The petitioner sought relief in the eighth case booked against him by the CB-CID.

“The petitioner should surrender his passport to the trial court / Chengalpattu Pocso court and co-operate to the investigation properly. He should not leave the state without getting the permission of the investigation officer,” the judge held.

It is noted that the petitioner had already got bail in six cases from the lower court. Recently, the Supreme Court granted bail to Siva Shankar Baba in another case on the condition that he should not visit his school premises where the alleged sexual harassment acts had occurred.

Citing the conditions put by the Supreme Court on the accused while granting bail to him, the Madras HC also passed similar conditions in this eighth case. As he got bail in all the cases, the Siva Shankar is likely to come out of the prison shortly.

The petitioner submitted that the complainant had completed her studies in the 2014-2015 academic year and lodged the complaint in 2021. The police submitted their objections saying that if the accused was let out on bail, he would destroy the evidence and influence the victims. On recording the submissions, the judge held why should the complainant visit the Ashram despite she had completed her course in 2015 and was granted bail to the godman.

As several girl students lodged a sexual harassment complaint against the Baba, the CB-CID police him under several sections IPC, Pocso Act and Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment Act, 2002. On June 13, 2021, police arrested the Baba in Delhi and later he was sent to Puzhal central prison into judicial custody.