The complainant was 17 at the time of the alleged offence.
| Photo Credit: Illustration by Satheesh Vellinezhi
The RR Nagar police arrested a Bengaluru-based yoga teacher and secretary for the State yoga sports association on September 17 for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor student multiple times assuring placement and foreign trips.
The accused, M. Niranjana Murthy, 55, is the founder and director of Sunshine The Yoga Zone at RR Nagar. He was booked under the POCSO Act. Further investigations are on to ascertain whether there are similar complaints from other women students .
Based on the complaint by the girl, Murthy was booked under Sections 69 (sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means) and 75(2) (sexual harassment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 12 (punishment for sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
According to the police, the investigation was initiated on August 30 when the girl filed a complaint. She was 17 when the alleged offence occurred. She told the police that she had known Murthy since 2019, as he was the secretary-general of the Karnataka Yogasana Sports Association (KYSA). From 2021, she has been participating in yoga competitions abroad.
She alleged that, in 2023, she went with Murthy to participate in one such competition in Thailand where he sexually assaulted her. She subsequently quit participating in competitions and stopped going to the yoga centre, according to the FIR.
She alleged that she joined Sunshine The Yoga Zone in 2024, run by the accused, and was yet again sexually harassed by Murthy. According to the FIR, she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Murthy in August 2025 at the institute after he promised her a medal and placement. She alleged that Murthy yet again attempted to sexually assault her on August 22 by promising a State-level placement. Unable to bear the torture and harassment, the victim informed her family and filed a complaint.
The accused is a well-known person in the yoga field and has a PhD in yoga. He led the national team 12 times. He has received a few awards, including the Life Achievement Award by the Government of Karnataka.
Published – September 18, 2025 02:32 pm IST
