Sept. 23: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday submitted a compact disc (CD) along with relevant documents before the high court in the case against self-styled godman Nithyananda Swami, who has sought directions to quash the FIR against him.
The CD and documents were submitted in a sealed cover before Justice Arali Nagaraj. The court has directed the registrar, judicial, to keep the CD and other materials in safe custody. The CID also produced the statements of witnesses in CD format in the case registered against Nithyananda under section 306 (rape) of IPC. Before submitting the documents and CD to the court, advocate general Ashok Harnahalli requested the court to keep the material as most confidential keeping in view the sensitivity of the case.
“The investigating agency can not disclose the identification of the alleged rape victim at this stage, I request the court to consider the seriousness of the case, the investigating officer can not disclose in an open court all facts of the offence registered under section 306. But considering the nature of offence, it would be difficult for the investigating agency to exhibit the documents in an open court,” the AG submitted. “Our investigating agency is trying its best to take statements of the witnesses but we have been unable to make substantial progress in the investigation,” the AG admitted.
Meanwhile, K.N.Yogappa, CID investigating officer filed an affidavit in the court seeking more time to complete the investigation against Nithyananda as the probe has to be conducted in a fair and impartial manner.
“During the investigation, a devotee has given a statement that she was sexually abused and raped by him over a period of four years under the guise of spiritual enlightenment. Some former devotees have been subjected to an inquiry for the offence,” affidavit states.
Mr Yogappa further stated that the complainant Lenin K. was further examined on September 16, 2010 and he produced the CD which contains the audio recording of the telephonic conversation and an email. The hidden camera, which allegedly recorded the incident, was sent to the forensic science laboratory to ascertain its authenticity.
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