Swami seeks Rs10 cr as damages from govt

Nithyananda has filed a new petition in the high court, seeking Rs10 crore as compensation from the government for damaging his ashram’s property. He has also requested that the government be asked to lift the siege on the ashram.

The government recently took over the ashram—Nithyananda Dhyanapeetham at Bidadi in Ramanagaram district—and launched search operations there to look into the allegations that some immoral activities were going on there.

In his petition, Nithyananda requested that the government forgo the custody of the ashram and pay Rs10 crore for damaging its property in the name of search operations. The petition said that Nithyananda developed the ashram on his own, without taking any help from the government. Yoga, meditation, spiritual discourses, free healing for people and other noble activities take place at the ashram. The swami contended that he also fed the poor and the needy free of cost.

Nithyananda said that liquor bottles, drugs and condoms that were “found” at the ashram were, in fact, planted there and videographed by vested interests to malign him.