Solan/Bangalore: Over a month after he was
reported absconding following his alleged involvement in a sex
scandal, self-styled godman Nityananda Swami, along with four
of his associates, was today arrested from the house of a
Delhi-based businessman in Solan in Himachal Pradesh.
The arrests were made by a Karnataka Crime Investigation
Department team and policemen from Himachal Pradesh in Mamlig
village under Arki police station area in Solan district,
Deputy Commissioner, Solan, Amar Singh Rathore, said.
32-year-old Nityananda and his associates, including his
close aide, Nitya Bhaktananda alias Gopal Seelam Reddy, were
being shifted to Shimla, 45 kms from Arki, for being produced
before a court tomorrow for transit remand to take them to
Bangalore, DIG in Himachal Pradesh CID, N Venugopal, said.
They were arrested after the authorities tracked a
mobile phone having a Himachal Pradesh sim card to establish
their location, Superintendent of Police, Solan, Prem Kumar
Thakur, said. Police did not disclose the name of the
Delhi-based businessman.
Others arrested were identified as Mitha Sanathan Nanda,
Arpil Sangil and Arun Raj, Thakur said, adding that Rs three
lakhs in cash, about 7000 US dollars, three video cameras and
three laptops were found in the house.
Karnataka Corps of Detectives DGP D V Guruprasad told
PTI in Bangalore that two deputy superintendents of police had
reached Solan on April 17 following information that
Nityananda could be living there. There were reports that he
had attended the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar.
The controversial self-styled godman had gone into
hiding after a purported video footage showing him in a
compromising position with a Tamil actress was aired on local
TV channels on March two.
Nityananda along with others is wanted in connection
with two cases registered at Bidadi, about 35 kms from
Bangalore.
Guruprasad said the CID yesterday had conducted searches
in Nityananda's ashram and seized some 'important' documents
and a computer hard disc.
Nityananda has rejected sex scandal allegations against
him. He had resigned last month as the head of 'Dhyanapeetam',
which he had founded near Bidadi on the outskirts of Bangalore
city.
He had announced that he would lead a 'life of spiritual
seclusion' for an indefinite period.
The Tamil Nadu police had registered various cases under
the IPC against him including that of rape. The cases were
later transferred to the Karnataka police.
The Ramanagaram police, under whose jurisdiction his
ashram near Bangalore falls, have registered two cases against
Nityananda.
The Karnataka High Court had last month rejected
Nityananda's anticipatory bail application. A petition filed
by him praying for quashing of cases filed against him will
come up for hearing before the High Court on Friday.
Later, the self-styled godman and four of his
associates were brought to the head office of CID at Shimla
from Arki where they were briefly interrogated by a joint team
of Himachal and Karnataka Police.
Nityananda said that he had come to the state from
Haridwar and was staying at the house in Mamlig under Arki
police station, according to Additional Director General of
Police (CID) I D Bhandari.
The ADG alleged Nityananda was living in the house of
a Delhi-based businessman which was taken on rent in the
name of one Vikas Dogra.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (CID) N Venugopal
said the godman and four of his associates were in CID custody
and most likely would be produced before a Shimla court
tomorrow for transit remand to take them to Bangalore.
When mediapersons sought reaction from the godman, he
merely smiled and greeted them with folded hands without
uttering anything.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, April 21, 2010, 23:21