The central enforcement directorate may file cases under Fema, Fera against the swami.
Even as the criminal investigation department continued to interrogate the tainted swami, Paramahamsa Nithyananda, a US security agency made “casual” enquiries on the progress of the case.
The US agency, it was learnt, showed interest on getting information related to a complaint filed against the swami in that country. It was also interested in knowing the flow of funds from Nithyananda’s ashram, Dhyanapeetham, in Bidadi, about 35km from Bangalore, according to CID sources.
Douglas McKeller of San Jose, US, had accused Nithyananda of sexually exploiting his devotees, fraud and financial irregularities.
It was suspected that the swami had routed funds to the now-extinct militant organisation, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, of Sri Lanka. Sources indicated that they would be looking into the self-styled godman’s international connections as well as financial transactions.
The CID would be writing to the central enforcement directorate (customs) to charge cases against Nithyananda under the provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and Foreign Exchange Regulatory Act (FERA). “We are not authorised to file cases under FEMA and FERA. So we have decided to write to the directorate of enforcement,” a CID officer said.
The CID had found that Nithyananda and his brother Nityeshwarananda were holding joint accounts in Canara Bank's Ramanagara branch, besides several others in Corporation Bank. The accounts revealed that the duo had received money from foreign countries.
Meanwhile, the director-general of police (CID) BV Guruprasad and DIG Charan Reddy quizzed Nithyananda on Sunday afternoon. The swami was cooperating with the investigation.
Nithyananda underwent medical examination on Sunday morning at the CID headquarters here. The interrogation started around 10 am. The arrested swami had lunch, brought from the Bidadi ashram, around 1.45 pm.
The CID would produce him before the Ramanagara chief judicial magistrate on Monday, to seek a four days’ extension of his police remand.
Nithyananda would also be taken to his Bidadi ashram to collect evidence. Sources in the CID said the swami would be travelling under tight security.
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