JOIN USAccording to details of the analysis that were sent four days ago to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is investigating the case, the video, which was clandestinely recorded by a former Nithyananda devotee inside the godman’s bedroom in his Bidadi ashram near here, is genuine.
The CID will present this fact before the Karnataka High Court on Thursday when Nithyananda’s bail application comes up for hearing. The CFSL analysis nails the godman and his devotees’ claims that the video was fake and that it had been doctored and morphed. Immediately after the scandal broke out on March 2, Nithyananda had claimed that some of his senior devotees had sent a copy of the video for analysis to London - a step which was never taken.
On Wednesday, the Ramanagara sessions court extended the judicial custody of Nithyananda and a senior devotee Gopal Sheelum Reddy, alias Bhaktananda, till June 23. Chief Judicial Magistrate Pushpavathi agreed with the Public Prosecutor Lokesh who sought an extension in the self-styled godman’s custody on the ground that the police needed time to interrogate him further.
Theory refused
The judge refused to buy the theory of defence counsel Vaidvyas who opposed an extension. The two were arrested while in hiding in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, on April 21.
CID sources said on conditions of anonymity that now that the CFSL analysis was available, it would go in for matching of individual picture profiles of Nithyananda and Ranjitha to conclusively establish that the persons seen featured in the video are indeed the godman and the actress who continues to elude the CID.
Police sources believe that an “elaborate charade” was being enacted by the actress, who is believed to be in hiding abroad, to avoid being examined by the CID sleuths. “But we will ensure that Ranjitha is examined. If need be investigators will visit her in Chennai if that is the location she wishes to be examined,” an official said.