Booked in kidnapping case by Gujarat police, Swami Nithyananda flees country; ashram raided

Booked in a criminal case for alleged kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children at his Ahmedabad ashram, self-styled godman Swami Nithyananda has fled the country, Gujarat Police said on Thursday. 

An FIR against the controversial guru was filed on Wednesday on the charges of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children to make them collect donations from followers to run his ashram - Yogini Sarvagyapeetham - in Ahmedabad. 

Gujarat police is working to gather evidence against Nithyananda after taking two of his disciples in remand, officials have said.

PTI reported that Nithyananda fled the country after a rape case was registered against him in Karnataka.

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Ahmedabad (Rural) Superintendent of Police RV Asari said Nithyananda has fled abroad the Gujarat police will seek his custody through proper channel if required, the PTI report said. 

Responding to a query on Nithyananda and whether the Gujarat Police has contacted the Centre to request his extradition, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "We've no formal info, neither from Gujarat police nor MHA. Also, for extradition request, we need location and nationality details of the person. We don't have such info about him yet."

Meanwhile, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has written to Directorate of Schools, State Education Department, Gujarat to inquire into the matter of leasing out land of DPS Maninagar to Swami Nithyananda ashram without permission of the board.

The ashram was reportedly run from the campus of Delhi Public School in Ahmedabad's Maninagar.

"It has been asked to conduct the inquiry expeditiously and convey the outcome of the report and status of No Objection Certificate issued by the state department to the school for seeking CBSE affiliation," the board said. 

According to a PTI report, two sadhvis at the ashram were arrested after two children aged 9 to 10 years told the police they were tortured, made to work and kept in illegal confinement at a flat in the city for over ten days.

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday issued notices to Nithyananda and the state government on a plea filed by a man seeking custody of his two daughters allegedly "detained" at his Ahmedabad ashram.

On Thursday, police said they conducted a search operation and the operation. 

"We held search operation at the ashram and seized 43 tablets, 4 laptops, pen drives and mobiles. We aren't tracing Nithyananda currently. First, we'll interrogate arrested accused, collect evidence, then take further action," KT Kamariya, Dy Superintendent of Police, Ahmedabad (Rural), said.