HC asks Bidadi police to file affidavit on woman’s death in Nithyananda's ashram

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday directed the Bidadi police to file an affidavit detailing the investigation in the mysterious death of a 24-year-old woman at Swami Nithyananda’s Ashram.

Justice Aravind Kumar was hearing a petition filed by Jansi Rani, the mother of the deceased woman, who had pleaded the court to direct the state government to call for a CBI probe in the issue.

Jansi said the Bidadi police did not even register the complaint over the mysterious death of her daughter Sangeetha on December 29, 2014, at Swami Nithyananda’s Ashram in Bidadi in Ramanagaram District.

The Additional Advocate General produced the original records of the investigation before the court, which directed the records to be left with the Judicial Registrar for safekeeping in a sealed cover.

It also asked the registrar to leave photocopies of the original documents to the Additional Advocate General.

The judge further directed the jurisdictional police (Bidadi) to file an affidavit on the status of the investigation on or before June 8.

The court orally stated that the mysterious death of Sangeetha requires investigation by the CBI.

The petition accused the respondents –the state government and others— of illegally and needlessly dragging the matter without valid reasons in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution.

The petitioner has also asked the court to provide a copy of all the post mortem reports -both preliminary and final- besides medical test results, doctor’s opinion and other documents relating to her daughter’s death.