CID raids Nithyananda ashram at Bidadi

Chandan Nandy and Preethi Nagaraj, Bangalore/Mysore, DHNS:

Acting stealthily, the Karnataka Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Monday conducted raids at the Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam ashram of sex scandal-tainted self-proclaimed godman Nithyananda, now on the run, and searched the premises before seizing documents.

The day-long operation yielded several documents, including registers, that were recovered from the headquarters of the cult organisation located at Kallugopahalli in the Bidadi taluk of Ramanagara district.

The search-and-seizure operation, the first at the ashram since the CID took over the case late last month, was conducted on the basis of a warrant obtained from the Ramanagara magistrate.

The CID sleuths also searched Nithyananda’s bedroom, which was the scene of the sexual activities he engaged with Tamil actress Ranjitha. They are believed to have recovered some key items related to the investigation from the now infamous bedroom where entry for ashramites, other than those Nithyananda chose to allow, was restricted.

“The CID is pursuing the investigation proactively and all leads are being pursued to gather evidence,” a top government official told Deccan Herald.

Meanwhile, refuting claims that the State government was being “slow” in its probe against Nithyananda, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa told Deccan Herald in Mysore that the “investigation is being pursued aggressively” and that his government was “not interfering with the probe”.

‘No soft stand’

The chief minister, who was in Mysore to take part in the Vijaya Sankalpa meet, said emphatically that his government was not taking a soft stand on the Nithyananda controversy.

Monday’s search and seizure has unnerved the few ashramites, including some women brahmacharinis, who continue to hold out there in the hope of the return of their “master” Nithyananda, believed to be in hiding somewhere in North India. Even though he is believed to be changing his location frequently, the CID is trying to pinpoint his exact whereabouts.

“CID sleuths are at present going through the documents and registers in an attempt to unearth evidence related to the godman’s financial resources, land acquisition, and links with women brahmacharinis,” sources said. “We suspect he has destroyed some incriminating papers.”

The sleuths are particularly interested in finding out the relationship Nithayanda had with some individual brahmacharis and brahmacharinis.

Sources said they are also trying to find out how instrumental Nithyananda’s so-called secretary T Dhanasekaran, alias Sadhananda, alias Aiyya, was in the godman’s land acquisition deals.