HC asks Nithyananda to appear for medical test on August 6

August 01, 2014 11:38 pm | Updated April 21, 2016 04:29 am IST - Bangalore

RAMANAGARA, (BIDADI): 01.02.2011: Swami Nithyananda, addressing the press conference at his ashram Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, in Bidadi, Ramanagara district, on Febuary 01, 2011.
Photo: K. Murali Kumar.

RAMANAGARA, (BIDADI): 01.02.2011: Swami Nithyananda, addressing the press conference at his ashram Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, in Bidadi, Ramanagara district, on Febuary 01, 2011. Photo: K. Murali Kumar.

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday stayed the non-bailable arrest warrant issued by a Ramanagaram court against Nithyananda Swami of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam and four of his followers in connection with the an alleged rape case.

The court directed Nithyananda to present himself before the investigating officer on August 6 for subjecting him to medical test and also to appear before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Ramanagaram, on August 18.

Justice A.S. Pachhapure passed the order on the petitions filed by Nithyananda and his followers, who are co-accused in the case, questioning the July 28 order of the CJM. They had claimed that the CJM was not justified in issuing the non-bailable arrest warrant against them as the High Court in its July 16 order did not direct them to be present before the CJM on July 28 but it was the date given for the trial court to commence hearing on the rape case, which was pending from four years.

In its July 16 order, the High Court had upheld the 2012 order of the CJM, who had allowed the plea of the Criminal Investigation Department to subject Nithyananda to medical test to find out whether or not he was capable of having sexual intercourse, and also to collect his blood and voice samples.

Observing that Nithyananda had been granted regular bail, the High Court, in the July 16 order, had made it clear that he should be taken into custody only for the limited purpose of subjecting him to medical test and for collecting voice and blood samples, if he voluntarily failed to appear before the investigating officer.

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