A saffron twist to Swami Nityananda’s case

A sub-ordinate court in Sriperumbudur of Kancheepuram district on Friday summoned “sleaze tape” accused spiritual guru Swami Paramahamsa Nithyananda to appear before the court on April 2 based on a private complaint filed by advocate K Selvamani. The advocate accused Nithyananda of bringing disrepute to “saffron robes”, which is revered by the Hindus.

“The advocate filed a private petition under section 295(a) of the Indian Penal Code accusing Nithyananda of deliberately and maliciously indulging in acts intended to outrage religious feelings because of being seen in compromising positions with an actress while in saffron robes. District munsif cum judicial magistrate S Gunasekhar examined the advocate as a witness and admitted the case,” sources told DNA.

“The court under its discretion issued a notice to Nithyananda, which is expected to be handed over to him at his Bidadi ashram (about 30 kms away from Bangalore) by a special messenger. If the messenger is unable to deliver the notice for any reason, the court will consider invoking the necessary clause to summon Nithyananda. The complainant has alleged that saffron robes had special religious sanctity in Hindu ethos and Nithyananda’s alleged sexcapades hurt religious sentiments,” the sources stated.