Nithyananda has made slanderous attacks on the victim Aarthi Rao (alias Ma Nithyananda Premeshwari Mayi) for speaking out against him, just like he has attacked every person who publicly spoke out against him in the past! Below is a clarification to these allegations shared with the press, which we received recently. Our prayers and support to her and her family, and to all other victims and witnesses.
Nithyananda’s Misrepresentations and False Allegations
Against Aarthi Rao Clarified
Following are facts to clarify the various misrepresentations and false ideas spread by Nithyananda and his supporters about Aarthi Rao.
· Allegation: A US court has given a money judgment against Aarthi Rao for theft of trade secrets, fraud, etc.
Fact: This is a LIE. There is NO SUCH judgment against Aarthi Rao by the US court. This case is still OPEN. This can be verified by anyone from US court website (case no. RIC1105004 filed in Superior Court of California at Riverside County).
By Nithyananda’s own admission his programs teach simple, time-tested techniques taken from various past masters like Patanjali and Osho. Moreover, all their meditation and yoga techniques have been published and widely circulated by the Nithyananda ashram as books, CDs, DVDs and even provided free of cost on their own website. What is this “trade secret” which Nithyananda alleges she has stolen?
· Allegation: She is ABSCONDING and hiding from the law.
Fact: Absolutely Not. She has been lawfully defending herself in the only summon she has received in the USA. She has been facing grave threats to her physical safety since charge sheet was filed with her victim statement. She has reported these threats to the India and US authorities. In addition, now based on lawyer’s advise to seek legal protection she will be filing for AB. Once her safety can be ensured, legally and physically she will make herself available and address the press.
· Allegation: She is an educated person from BITS Pilani, What took her so many years to complain?
Fact: Unfortunately CULT removes all reason and independent will of its members. As Aarthi reported in the charge sheet and explained in her interviews: exactly this question is what drove her to depression and suicide; but after learning about cults she realized she is a victim of cult brainwashing, which removed her logical thinking. She realized later that it was not just her, but so many other educated devotees including psychologists, doctors, businessmen were brainwashed and exploited to give up their wealth, their services and their life to Nithyananda mission. They all regretted it later. Please see attachments for a case study of an educated woman who was abused in a cult for 20 years before she realized and left. Also see cultic practices experienced in Nithyananda Mission by Aarthi.
· Allegation: She carries a dangerous disease like HIV and came to ashram only for healing. Her healing request has been recorded on video.
Fact: Nonsense. Neither she has any ailment like HIV AIDS nor she went to ashram for any healing. Nithyananda is challenged to make the alleged healing videos public, it will be confirmed that she never made any such request for healing. She was only interested in social service and spirituality, that’s the only reason she dedicated her life as a volunteer in Nithyananda mission. She will be willing to take any medical test if and when required in the main trial.
· Allegation: She was only a causal visitor to ashram and never been in personal service of Nithyananda.
Fact: RIDICULOUS! Nithyananda gave her the name “Ma Nithyananda Premeshwari Mayi”, and made her one of the few privileged “Mothers”. Only 20 women out of thousands in Nithyananda mission have been given this privilege by Nithyananda. In an email sent to her as recently as Feb 2010 (through personal secretary Ma Gopika), Nithyananda thanked her for all her service and wanted desperately to talk to her. Moreover, according to Nithyananda’s complaint against her in USA - she was not just a volunteer in the mission, she was trained and selected to teach meditation, yoga, conduct satsangs as an organizer in USA and even travelled with Nithyananda!
Aarthi has enough photo, email and other evidences to prove she was a closely connected and hence Nithyananda’s allegations are false. Please see one example email attached.
· Allegation: To avoid facing such a (money) judgment Aarthi Rao filed for bankruptcy, but court dismissed it for failure to appear
Fact: NOT TRUE. Aarthi Rao was forced to file for insolvency (bankruptcy) only because she has absolutely no money, she lost nearly 30 lakhs ($60,000) in just 6 months of fighting the false case. Only due to threat to her personal safety, she could not attend the hearing in person.
· Allegation: She is avoiding deposition when US court offered security
Fact: FALSE. The judge said very clearly Aarthi was not avoiding deposition since she was willing to appear by phone due to safety concerns. Unfortunately, the court granted security only within the court premises, but the threat to her safety is outside the court. Because of such serious concerns about her physical safety from Nithyananda’s henchmen who are desperate to silence her (as Ma Gopika, Nithyananda’s personal secretary, has been silenced for last 2 years), she has been unable to physically attend deposition.
· Allegation: She has given same complaint to USA police, which they have investigated and closed as false
Fact: LIE. She has given complaints to more than 5 agencies in USA, including police, prosecutors and FBI. Most are still investigating her complaint (please see evidence attached). Only 1 prosecutor informed her that the matter must be reported to the police for investigation (which she already did). Further he added that since the accused (Nithyananda) is not in USA and because the accused is already being prosecuted for similar charges in India, it is unlikely that the prosecutor’s office will pursue the complaint. Clearly, the complaint was not closed as false, as misrepresented by Nithyananda.
· Allegation: She is facing serious charges in USA for child abuse.
Fact: Absolutely shocking!! She has no knowledge of such a complaint as she has not been contacted by any US police in this regard (although the same police has her contact information from her own complaint). This must be one more false complaint filed to harass and intimidate her into silence.
Similar false case has been used to arrest victim Vinay Bharadwaj when he was talking to KA CID. In the (false) civil complaint filed against her, Nithyananda’s organization 1st claimed she molested some children, and later amended it to molesting some unknown woman. US lawyers were surprised and puzzled to see such unrelated criminal allegations in a civil complaint. But to Aarthi it was a clear threat that she will face some kind of molestation case and suffer the same fate as Vinay Bharadwaj, if she continued to speak out against Nithyananda.
Nithyananda, using his supporters, is clearly misusing the court systems both in India and in USA to harass, intimidate and also to bring down her credibility as a key prosecution witness in the criminal trial in India. These are clear examples of brutal witness intimidation (through his clever manipulations).
