In a sudden, yet significant development, Lenin Karuppan, the whistleblower who exposed Bidadi-based Nithyananda in a compromising position with a Tamil actress in March 2010, surrendered before the state CID’s Crime Branch in Chennai on Wednesday.

Police said that Lenin appeared at the CB-CID headquarters in Guindy and presented himself to the police authorities. He was accompanied by his advocate.

Lenin chose to surrender to avoid the embarrassment of an arrest warrant which was to be issued against him.

The “whistle-blower” also faces charges of leaking the sleazy video tape featuring Nithyananda and his woman disciple at their ashram in Bidadi near Bangalore.

Ranjitha later denied any such involvement with him and claimed it was a morphed picture to defame her and the “spiritual guru”. The “Lenin tapes” created a sensation when it was shown on a particular Tamil TV news channel in March 2010. Subsequently, the Karnataka CID arrested Nithyananda in Solan, Himachal Pradesh.

Lenin was wanted by the CB-CID in connection with a complaint filed by Nithyananda  that he had threatened him and asked for money over the video tapes last year.

Lenin, however, has denied the allegations, claiming that Nithyananda wanted to get even with him by filing “false cases”.