“Pure lies,” self-styled godman Paramahamsa Nithyanandatermed all allegations against him – except one – in an interview on Thursday.
The interviewer skirted the latest controversy over the televised sleaze tapes; so did the tainted swami, who lookedunperturbed throughout the 13.02 -minute-long video podcast.
Interviewer Rajiv Malhotra, founder and president of the New Jersey, US-based Infinity Foundation, raised questions over allegations of illegal ownership of land, rape, mysterious death of a foreigner, storage of sandalwood, forceful detention, rape, and ill-gotten wealth.
No questions were raised on the repeatedly televised sex tape, which had triggered all the other allegations that were discussed during the interview.
Malhotra hinted that their location was Haridwar: “We are here at the Kumbh Mela, and we are here to celebrate it.” The interview was uploaded onto the website of the Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam.
It was not known how Malhotra had found Nithyananda. The Tamil Nadu police had formed three teams to find the swami, after television channels had aired the clippings, which showed a lecherous couple, apparently the godman and an actress.
On the accusation that his ashram in Bidadi was set up on ill-gotten land, the swami said that it was donated by three brothers of a philanthropist family, Vinayak Rao, Pratap Rao and Jeevan Rao.
“It was donated legally and we have all the documents,” he said. The godman also clarified that a Canadian national, Melvin Boyd Diamond (58), met with an accidental death at his ashram on December 13, 2008. “He was seen many times sitting on the parapet, shaking his leg. One day, he fell from the parapet and the devotees rushed him to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead,” Nithyananda said.
The swami denied allegations of rape of a 23-year-old ashramite, detention of young devotees and amassing wealth. He termed them as “pure lies.”
The sandalwood seized from the ashram were left behind by some thieves, Nithyananda said. The incident was informed to the forest department, which ignored it as minor issue.
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