Nithyananda and the case of the sex-contracts

Godman’s sex pacts drafted in 2009

Chandan Nandy, Bangalore, May 5, DHNS:

The infamous ''confidential non-disclosure agreement'' that two of arrested godman Nithyananda's associates signed with no less than 35-40 devotees, mostly females, is believed to have been drafted in 2009 in the United States.

The non-disclosure agreement which, among other things, was essentially drawn up for Nithyananda to engage in explicit sexual activities with some of his devotees in the name of Tantra, virtually gave the godman carte blanche to participate in "the use of sexual energy for increased intimacy/spiritual connection, pleasure etc. Deccan Herald first highlighted the existence of such a non-disclosure agreement in its April 13 edition. According to reliable sources, a preliminary analysis of the some of the seized hard disks and examination of some witnesses suggests that even though the agreement was prepared and soft copies were emailed to a senior Nithyananda associate in 2009, the devotees were asked to sign them with a "back date". The hard disks were sent for date recovery and analysis. "It suggests that the sole purpose of the so-called agreements was aimed at entrapping some ashramites to engage in sex and other forms of unnatural sex," an official said, adding that "it clearly establishes the motive and an intent aimed at having sex". The CID has been able to examine and record the statements of some of the devotees who are believed to have signed the agreements with back dates.  Sources said that one close female Nithyananda devotee was asked to sign with the September 5, 2005 as the date. In another instance, a situation was contrived whereby a senior female devotee per force signed on, although she had vehemently objected to the contents of the agreement when she read it the first time. This particular devotee signed the document with a 2005 date. It is in this context that the non-disclosure agreements assume legal importance in the light of the CID's discoveries from the retrieved hard disk data.