In a complaint lodged with the Chennai police, Nithya Dharmananda alias K. Lenin of Athur in Salem district has accused Swami Nithyananda of harassment and criminal intimidation.
The Central Crime Branch police here registered a case under Section 295 (A) (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 420 (cheating), 506 (1) (criminal intimidation) and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy).
“Special teams have been formed to secure Swami Nithyananda for further investigation. But for the charge of criminal intimidation and cheating, most part of the offences seems to have occurred in the ashram. The case will be transferred to Karnataka. We are ready to provide all assistance to the Bangalore police,” Commissioner of Police T. Rajendran said on Saturday.
According to police sources, Dharmananda told the police that he was inspired by the speech of Swami Nithyananda and joined the Dharmapeetam in 2006 to render service in the ashram. However, Swami Nithyananda was sexually assaulting women visiting the ashram and forcing them into unnatural acts of sex.
While one person died in a suspicious manner, another attempted to commit suicide in the ashram.
Since Swami Nithyananda was often meeting actor Ranjitha in the ashram, he decided to secretly videograph the happenings in the former's bedroom in December 2009. Swami Nithyananda and some of his followers who came to know of this had threatened to kill him at a function in Salem in February 2010, the sources added.
