Ex-aide blows lid off sexcapades
Nithyananda scandal
In a dramatic turn to the sex scandal involving Swami Paramahamsa Nithyananda, the godman’s former aide Swami Dharmananda alias Lenin Karuppan on Saturday owned up his role in getting his former guru’s sexual acts taped.
He said the sting operation was done to “save” scores of innocent devotees.
In a complaint filed against Nithyananda with Chennai Police Commissioner T Rajendran, Karuppan listed various charges against him like sexual abuse of several residents, including young women devotees, at his Bangalore ashram.
On the basis of this, the city police have registered a fresh case against Nithyananda under six IPC Sections, including 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 420 (cheating), 376 (rape), 506 (1) (criminal intimidation), and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy).
Rajendran said this case, along with the earlier one filed by a group of Madras High Court lawyers, was being transferred to the Karnataka Police as all the incidents had taken place in Bangalore. “We will assist the Karnataka Police in all respects,” he added.
Admitting that he was one of Nithyananda’s faithful devotees since 2004, Karuppan alleged that Nithyananda had an uncanny knack of winning over new devotees coming to his ashram, particularly women, “by comparing himself to Lord Krishna and that they (women) are his gopis.”
Karuppan claimed that his former guru soon began to take “liberties” with residents, which went beyond hugging and embraces to alleged acts of physical intimacy.
Tendencies
Karuppan also alleged that Nithyananda had “bisexual tendencies”. A few male devotees felt intimidated and left the ashram. One of them died under suspicious circumstances and another had attempted suicide.
Karuppan’s complaint also refers to how actress Ranjitha had first met Nithyananda in Chennai last year, and had quickly become one of his closest devotees to the point of getting quarters next to his own in the ashram. Karuppan, hailing from Athur in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district, further alleged that Nithyananda would “even threaten” his devotees with dire consequences if he got word that someone might spill the beans.
Karuppan said he was deeply pained and shocked by Nithyananda’s “unnatural offences” and playboyish propensities. To put an end to all this, Karuppan claimed, he decided to videograph the godman’s relationship with Ranjitha after she became a frequent visitor to the ashram.
Last month, when Nithyananda came for a function in Tamil Nadu, he asked Karuppan to deposit the tapes with him or face severe consequences. Fearing for his life, Karuppan fled their company.
Confirming that Karuppan had given the complaint, Rajendran said a CD of the bedroom scenes of Nithyananda has also been submitted to the police.
