Nithyananda resumes preaching

With the Karnataka high court lifting conditions imposed on his spiritual activities, self-styled godman Nithyananda Swami, facing rape and other criminal charges, today resumed religious discourses and delivered a talk on freedom at his Bidadi ashram.

Earlier, while granting bail to Nithyananda the court had last month observed he had fallen short of his image as a spiritual head and restrained him from conducting spiritual preaching classes except yoga and meditation.

However, following an interlocutory application from Nithyananda that stated that the conditions took away his freedom of speech, the court last week relaxed them.

Apart from his ashram members, more than 100 visitors attended his religious discourses, ashram sources said.

Delivering his first public discourse after nearly 80 days, Nithyananda recalled his life in prison. After his arrest in April, he was released on bail on June 13.

Nithyananda was embroiled in a controversy after a purported video footage showing him in a compromising position with a Tamil actress was aired on some local TV channels in March. Cases of rape and other offences were registered against him in Tamil Nadu and transferred to Karnataka.