Another case filed against Nityananda Swami

Another case has been filed against self-styled godman Nityananda Swami on a complaint by an ashram inmate who has claimed that he had shot the video purportedly showing the Swami in a compromising position with an actress which was later telecast on TV channels.

Police commissioner T Rajendiran told reporters today that Sri Nithya Dharmananda alias K Lenin had said in his complaint that he had shot the video and submitted a CD of the purported act caught on camera.

"We have filed a case under different sections of IPC (including rape and criminal intimidation) based on the complaint. The case does not come under our jurisdiction, and it would be transferred to Karnataka police and Tamil Nadu DGP (Letika Saran) has spoken to her Karnataka counterpart," he said.

Police had earlier filed a case of cheating against Nityananda following a complaint by a group of Madras high court advocates.

Rajendiran said Dharmananda had said in his complaint that he had been staying in the Nityananda Dhyanapeetam in Bangalore since 2006 and levied different charges against the Swami including that he had forced some individuals into homosexual acts who had later left the ashram, besides being intimate with women devotees.

He had also said one person was found dead under "mysterious circumstances" in the ashram while another attempted suicide.