CID seeks dope on Swami Nithyananda’s activities

The criminal investigation department (CID) of the state police on Monday requested the public to share information on the activities of the tainted swami, Paramahamsa Nithyananda alias Rajasekharan.

Superintendent of police (CID-special enquiry) KN Yogappa said in a statement that anyone who wished to provide information on the self-styled godman could contact him over phone numbers 080-22381894 or 9480800123. Victims of Nithyananda were also asked to contact the investigating officer.

Statements could be directly made to the officer at his office in Carlton House, Palace Road, Bangalore – 560 001. A CID team, headed by Yogappa, was probing the cases against 32-year-old Nithyananda. Yogappa said that the identities of those who provide information on the swamy’s activities would be protected.

The case was earlier transferred to the CID by the Bidadi police, who had filed a first information report (FIR) on March 18. The FIR was filed based on the documents provided by the Tamil Nadu police. The cases were filed against Nithyananda under sections 295 (a), 420, 376, 377, 506 (b) and 120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code.

The cases were initially filed by the Chennai police on a complaint by Karuppa Lenin of Athur in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district. Lenin, a former disciple of the swamy, claimed that he had taped Nithyananda’s sex romps with a Tamil actress, suspected to be Ranjitha.

CID officer Yogappa expressed hope that Lenin would voluntarily furnish his statement to the investigating team.

After receiving the documents from Tamil Nadu, two criminal cases were filed by the Bidadi police, since those incidents were suspected to have taken place in Sri Nithyananda Dhyanapeetham, the headquarters of the swamy’s global spiritual empire.

In a separate but related development, a US citizen lodged a criminal complaint against the godman before California state attorney general Jerry Brown on March 25.

Douglas McKellor, also known as Swami Nithya Prabha for a brief period, accused Nithyananda of unnatural sex, fraud, financial irregularities and physical abuse of devotees in the US. In his complaint he alleged that he was made to stand guard in front of the door while Nithyananda was inside the room with a lady guest. McKeller was rechristened Nithya Prabha soon after the incident.

He also alleged that the godman issued fake enlightenment certificates and cheated people by charging millions of dollars.