The high court on Tuesday granted an interim stay on the proceedings against self-styled godman Nithyananda and five others in the sessions court in Ramanagara.
Justice RB Budihal passed the order on a criminal revision petition filed challenging the order of the sessions court which rejected the application seeking to discharge them from rape and other charges.
He adjourned the further hearing to Wednesday.
Senior counsel C V Nagesh, representing the petitioners, submitted that, according to victim's statement before this court was that it was consensual relationship between the victim and Nithyananda. So, there is no question of rape, he argued and sought to grant a stay on the proceedings before the sessions court.
In last December, the Supreme Court had directed the sessions court to continue hearing of the case based on the chargesheet filed by CID.
On February 19, 2018, the sessions court proceeded to frame charges against Nithyananda and five others after rejecting their applications seeking to discharge charges levelled against them.
Nithyananda and his followers Shiva Vallabhaneni, Ragini Vallabhaneni, Dhanasekara and Jamuna Rani have been booked for hurting religious sentiments, rape, unnatural sex, cheating and criminal intimidation.
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