Nithyananda devotees held
The Bidadi police on Thursday arrested three Nithyananda devotees on charges of spiriting away a woman, whose statement the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials sought to record, and obstructing them from performing their duty.
The three who were arrested around 6 pm after the CID lodged a complaint with the Bidadi police station are Sachitananda, alias Shiva Vallabhaneni, Dayananda and Shantimayananda. Sachitananda was arrested a few months ago in connection with the criminal case the CID filed against Nithyananda for alleged rape, unnatural sex and cheating, among other charges.
According to police sources, the reason for the arrests was the involvement of the three in spiriting away Ma Sadhananda, wife of Nithyananda’s secretary Sadhananda, alias Dhanasekaran.
In its complaint, the CID investigating officer claimed that when he and some of his colleagues went to the Bidadi ashram on Thursday morning to record the statement of Ma Sadhananda, some devotees of Nithyananda.
Nithyananda’s devotees then took Ma Sadhananda, alias Jamuna, away from the ashram in a car to an undisclosed location. CID sources said Ma Sadhananda’s statement was crucial because she was the one who was the co-signatory of the controversial non-disclosure agreement that some male and female devotees signed on and which authorised Nithyananda to have tantra sex with them.
