Rape Case against Swamy Nithyananda:Karnataka police files Charge Sheet

Special CID police of the Karnataka Government has filed charge sheet against self styled god-man Nithyananda and his four associates for rape and unnatural sex.

Swamy Nityananda was arrested by Karnataka police near Solan in Himachal Pradesh on April 21. He had fled there from his Bidadi Ashram after Tamil TV channels telecast video clippings claiming they showed him in sexual acts with film actress Ranjitha.

The associates figured in the charge sheet are Nithya Bhaktananda, Nithya Sachidananda, Nithya Sadananda and Maa Sachidananda alias Ragini, the Crime Investigation Department(CID) said in a statement on Monday.

The statement further said the 430-page charge sheet was filed in a court in Ramanagara, near Bangalore, on Nov 27.

Nityananda, hailing from Tamil Nadu, has a sprawling ashram in Ramanagara district's Bidadi area, about 30 km from Bangalore.

Rape-Sex- and Criminal Conspiracy

Nithyananda face charges of rape, unnatural sex, cheating, criminal conspiracy and criminal intimidation.

Bhaktananda has been charged with harbouring an offender and criminal conspiracy.

Sachidananda, Sadananda and Maa Sachidananda face charges of assisting Nityananda in committing rape and unnatural sex.

Superintendent of Police (CID) and the Investigation Officer (IO) K.N. Yogappa submitted the charge sheet against Nithyananda and others.

Details of Charge sheet

The charge sheet alleges that the god-man had repeatedly raped one of his disciples in the Dhyanapeetham ashram at Bidadi and also in other places.

“One woman witness, who appeared before the Investigating Officer (IO) during the course of investigation, alleged that she was repeatedly raped by Nithyananda not only at his ashram, but in other parts of the country. Nithyananda allegedly deceived the victim by saying that if she subjected herself to his sexual demands, she would achieve enlightenment and that sex with him would lead to moksha,” the charge sheet says.

According to the charge sheet, the Investigation Officer has seized several agreements signed between the devotees and ashram authorities taking their consent for participating in tantric sex. The charge sheet further says many such agreements were destroyed days before the incident came to light.

The IO subjected the video CD produced by the complainant at the time of lodging FIR for forensic analysis, the officials said. According to the charge sheet, ‘the video recording is genuine and that the image found in the video is conclusive of the presence of Nithyananda”.

110 witnesses

The charge sheet contains statements of 110 witnesses half of whom are overseas devotees. The charge sheet has 60 documents as annexure.

- Asian Tribune -