Nithyananda Swamy And Ranjetha Latest news

June 12th Saturday

Karnata HC Granted Conditional Bail to Swamy Nithyananda:Orders to surrender Passport



Sathyalaya Ramakrishnan reporting from Chennai
Chennai, 12 June, (Asiantribune.com):

The High Court has granted conditional bail to self styled god man Nithyanada, who arrested on charges of hurting religious sentiments and cheating.

Mr Justice Subash Adi ordered release of Nityananda on production of surety for Rs One Lakh, he should remain in his ashram and should not conduct spiritual class but can teach Yoga.

The Judge also directed to surrender his Passport and asked him to put his attendance once in 15 days with pidathi police station.

Earlier, government counsel appears for CID had submitted to the court that they have completed investigation and no objection for release onbail.

Nithyantha not a Swamiji

Nityananda, who had gone underground after a TV channel beamed his sex act with Tamil actress Ranjitha, was arrested in Haryana on March 21 and he was under Judicial custody since then. Appearing for Nityananda, former Advocate General B V Acharya had submitted before Mr Justice Subash Adi that Nityananda was only a preacher. He had never stated that he had taken 'diksha' to become a Swamiji and as a common man there was nothing wrong in him having a relationship with a woman.

He told newsmen after granted bail, CID, which has stated that they have completed questioning Nityananda have not proved the allegations. "Just for allegations one person cannot be arrested and kept under detention and hence he was released on Rs one lakh cash and two surities." Replying to a question, he said that actress Ranjit giving statement about the incident does not arise since it was not mentioned during the hearing in the Court.

The CID had filed suo moto case based on tv channel beaming Nityananda's involvement in sex acts with Ranjitha.



Nithyananda not sanyasi, says counsel

Bangalore: Sex scandal-tainted self-styled godman Paramahamsa Nithyananda Swamy is not a sanyasi, his advocate has told the Karnataka high court.

He was just a preacher and he had never claimed to be a sanyasi, senior counsel BV Acharya told justice Subash B Adi on Thursday when Nithyananda’s bail plea came up for hearing.

“Nithyananda is not a sanyasi as the state claims him to be,” he said. Many people, including women, visited ashrams of various godmen and became their followers. Nithyananda’s ashram, too, had women devotees who were his followers and living with him, he said.

“Nithyananda swamiji is not a common man. He is a spiritual guru,” Acharya said. “Society’s feelings should be taken into consideration (while hearing his case). For 50 days, swamiji has been in jail. There has been no direct complaint from any of the alleged victims of Nithyananda Swamy. The allegation of offence under the Section 295A is not correct. This case is a conspiracy,” he said.

The state told the court that no material was found against Nithyananda. “The swamiji is not needed for further investigation,” it said.

The additional public prosecutor representing the state said that the police had found no evidence to substantiate sexual assault allegations against Nithyananda. The police had booked the case under section 295 A of the Indian Penal Code for hurting the religious sentiments of people and cheating them, he said.

Justice Adi took the government to task for delaying the investigation. “How much time will you take to complete the interrogation? How do you want to prosecute him?” he asked. The judge directed the state to file a memo on its stand on Nithyananda’s bail plea. The court will deliver its verdict on the bail plea on Friday.

The high court has also adjourned to June 18 the hearing on Nithyananda’s petition for lifting of freeze on his bank accounts.


Halappa files plea against DNA test

Bangalore: The former minister for the food and civil supplies Hartal Halappa, who is facing rape charges, filed a petition in the high court on Monday against DNA test to be conducted on him.

The former minister challenged the Shimoga judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) II court order of May 21 that initially permitted the CID to conduct DNA and voice tests on him but later suspended the same till May 24 after Halappa’s counsel sought time to appeal against the test in the high court. Naik told DNA on Monday that the petition was likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday.

The Shimoga court extended the judicial custody of Halappa to June 7 and also extended the date of conducting the DNA test to May 26. The high court adjourned Halappa’s bail plea to Wednesday.

During the bail plea hearing, Justice Subash B Adi asked the state government on the status of the investigation and the government submitted that investigation documents were yet to be received from the forensic science laboratory.After that only the charge sheet would be filed.

However, the Shimoga police submitted the case diary and the statement of objections to the high court on Monday.

Justice Adi adjourned the case and directed the state that the documents can be submitted to the high court on Wednesday only if they get them.
Nithya case

The bail plea filed by sex-tainted godman Nithyananda Swamy in the high court will come for hearing on Tuesday.

BV Acharya, the former advocate general, will be arguing for the swamy after former special public prosecutor HS Chandramouli withdrew from the case. The matter that came for hearing on Monday was adjourned to Tuesday by the high court.




Nithyananda tape: Nakkheeran challenges gag order

CHENNAI: Nakkheeran Publications and its editor RR Gopal has moved the Madras High Court challenging the interim order dated April 21, 2010 of a single judge restraining them and others from publishing anything about Nithyananda Swamy and the Trust.

A vacation bench comprising Justice V Dhanapalan and Justice D Hariparanthaman, before which the appeals came up on Wednesday, ordered notice returnable by June 14.

The interim prayer was to stay the operation of the order of the single judge.

Appellants contended that the blanket stay order had restrained the petitioner and others from making any publication against the Swamy, which was beyond the bounds of the law. It was bad in the eye of law and prohibitive of press freedom. It virtually put the appellants to undue functional restriction and their journalistic rights were prejudiced.

The Swamy had never made out a prima facie case in his defamation suit. On the other hand, the appellants had a very strong prima facie case since their publications were supported by documents, photographs and other evidentiary materials. Appellants had unfettered rights to publish articles touching upon public interest in respect of the conduct and functioning of public persons. Even the aspects of private life of public persons touching upon public interest were unobjectionable. The Swamy always sought prominence in public and hence his activities were subject to public scrutiny. The impugned publication was a crime reporting.

The Swamy was a subject in the eye of law. Many crimes were registered and were under investigation.



Prayers all the way for Swami's disciples


BANGALORE: A two-day hunger prayer for the early release of their religious leader Swamy Nithyananda, who has been in jail since April 21, began at his ashram in Bidadi on Saturday.

While his disciples have been observing regular fasting and chanting for their spiritual leader's early release on bail, devotees from Bangalore and other places are expected to join them on Sunday.

On Saturday, the Nirahara Prarthana started at 7am with Nithya Dhyaan meditation and Guru Pooja, followed by prayers at the sacred banyan tree. Day-long purascharana (chanting), meditation and arati are also being performed in the Anandeshwara temple in the ashram.

The Nirahara Prarthana is also being observed at Nithyananda's Vedic Temples in the USA, and by followers in Malaysia, Singapore and other places worldwide. Devotees who do not have access to a satsang centre will join in the prayer from their homes, a release from the ashram said.