Nithyananda has fled the country after a rape case was registered against him in Karnataka, and it will be a waste of time searching for him here [in Gujarat], the police said. – Deepshikha Ghosh
Controversial self-styled godman Nithyananda, accused of kidnapping and wrongly confining children in his ashram in Ahmedabad, has fled the country, the Press Trust of India quoted officials as saying on Thursday [Nov. 21]. An FIR was registered on Wednesday against Nithyananda over allegations that he kidnapped children and held them in his ashram to make them collect donations from followers at his ashram Yogini Sarvagyapeetham.
Amid reports that Nithyananda is in Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of External Affairs denied any information or any request for his extradition.
“We have no formal information, neither from the Gujarat police nor the Home Ministry. Also, for any extradition request, we need the location and nationality details of the person. We don’t have such info about him yet,” said the foreign ministry spokesperson.
Nithyananda is indeed abroad, a police officer in Ahmedabad, R.V. Asari, was quoted as telling PTI. If required, the Gujarat police will seek his custody through proper channels, he said.
Nithyananda has fled the country after a rape case was registered against him in Karnataka, and it will be a waste of time searching for him here, the police said.
“If required, we will go through proper channels to seek his custody from abroad. We will definitely arrest him if he comes back to India,” said the officer.
Two of Nithyananda’s disciples, Pranpriya and Priyatatva, were arrested on Tuesday [Nov. 19] on kidnapping, illegal confinement and assault charges. They were sent to five days custody and are being questioned by the police.
They were arrested after two children of 9 or 10 years found at the ashram told the police they were tortured, forced to work and kept in illegal confinement at a flat in the city for over 10 days.
Similar allegations were made by two other children rescued from the ashram after a complaint filed by their parents, the police said.
Another police officer, K.T. Kamariya, said the police are also investigating the case of a woman missing from Nithyananda’s ashram after a complaint was by her father.
Gujarat Home Minister Pradipsinh Jadeja told reporters that nobody involved in the case would be spared.
Nithyananda, a high profile figure, is often seen accepting expensive “offerings” in gold and jewellery from “devotees”. An accused in a rape case in Karnataka, Nithyananda has often drawn attention because of his gimmicky appearance and conduct.
The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday had issued notices to the self-proclaimed godman and the state government on the petition of a man who alleged that his two daughters had been held captive by the so-called guru. – NDTV/PTI, 23 November 2019
› Deepshikha Ghosh edits PTI copy for NDTV.
Nithyananda fled India on expired passport? Godman traceless, authorities clueless – Nolan Pinto
Self-styled godman Nithyananda is suspected to have fled the country dodging the security agencies of the country. He is being probed in criminal cases involving a rape case in Karnataka, and kidnapping and torture case in Gujarat.
According to sources in the know of related developments, Nithyananda has not appeared in the court in more than 40 hearings of the cases against him. The sources have told India Today that Nithyananda has escaped to Ecuador via Nepal.
However, the puzzling link in this escape saga is that his passport had expired in September 2018. It has not been renewed. This was confirmed by a former Ramanagara (Karnataka) superintendent of police to India Today TV.
He said, “When cases are pending, normally we do not recommend renewal of passports. I checked and confirmed that we rejected renewal of his passport when I was the Ramanagara SP.” India Today has accessed Nithyananda’s passport. It expired on September 30 2018.
Earlier, Ahmedabad (Rural) Superintendent of Police R.V. Asari said Nithyananda fled the country after a rape case was registered against him in Karnataka, and it will be a waste of time searching for him in Gujarat. Asari said if required, the Gujarat police will seek his custody through proper channel.
This matter came to light after Gujarat police arrested three persons including the principal of the Delhi Public School in Ahmedabad in the past few days. Nithyananda was booked in a criminal case related to his ashram in Ahmedabad.
The Gujarat police are working to gather concrete evidence against him after taking two of his disciples in remand. An FIR was registered on Wednesday [Nov. 20th] against the controversial godman on the charges of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children to make them collect donations from followers to run his ashram in Ahmedabad, Yogini Sarvagyapeetham.
The two sadhvis were arrested after two children aged 9 to 10 years enrolled at the ashram told the police they were tortured, made to work and kept in illegal confinement at a flat in the city for over ten days. Similar allegations were made by two other children rescued from the ashram on the basis of a complaint filed by their parents, the police said. – India Today, 22 November 2019
› Nolan Pinto is with India Today TV. PTI inputs from Ahmedabad..
Filed under: india, west indies | Tagged: godmen, nithyananda, nithyananda sex scandal |
BHARATA BHARATI 
The more interesting question is who is assisting Nithy’s flight? There seems to be unlimited funds, safe houses, and international travel without identity papers. Who is behind this circus showman who is so successfully presenting himself a paramahamsa sannyasi?
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