Well-known yoga trainer M. Niranjana Murthy (55), Secretary of the Karnataka Yogasana Sports Association, has been arrested by the Rajarajeshwari Nagar Police on charges under the POCSO Act following a complaint of sexual assault.
Murthy, a resident of Rajarajeshwari Nagar, runs yoga centres under the banner Sunshine The Yoga Zone at multiple locations in Bengaluru.
According to police, a 19-year-old woman lodged a complaint on August 30, alleging that Murthy had sexually assaulted her during a yoga training trip to Thailand in 2023, when she was 17 years old. She further stated that the harassment continued after she rejoined his institute in 2024.
Based on her complaint, the police registered a case under five provisions, including sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and subsequently arrested Murthy.
The case has shocked the yoga community in Bengaluru, where Murthy was widely known for his training programmes.
