Thursday, November 08, 2012 at 06:27:51 AM
http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/10/20121108201211080628228760485d25/Judge-to-decide-on-Satyananda-after-watching-it.html
A ‘judicial mind’ may watch the movie Satyananda — allegedly made on controversial godman Swami Nithyananda — to decide if it is defamatory.
The ‘judicial mind’ could be either the High Court judge who is
hearing an appeal or the trial court judge who has stayed its release.
Advocates of both Nithyananda and filmmaker Madan Patel agreed to a
judge watching the movie after Justice N Ananda asked them to come up
with ideas to solve the dispute.
Dispute over the film cropped up after Nithyananda claimed that it
was based on allegations against him and sought a stay on the film’s
release. The trial court had granted the stay and put a stop to
publicity about the film. The court had later permitted the film to be
censored but with the rider that Nithyananda or his advocates can watch
the film and raise objections if any. The Regional Censor Board in
August this year rejected the Censor certificate after watching the film
and listening to the advocates of both parties. However, the revising
committee of the Board which watched the film granted a certificate to
the film.
When the matter reached the High Court, Justice Ananda said that
television channels have constantly made programmes on Nityananda and if
the case goes on for five years, the film will become stale. “This
thing has news value. So television channels showed the same thing for
hours and hours speaking to some or the other person. There is nothing
to hide now. Everything was on TV,” the judge said.
The judge suggested at this point that the trial court judge could
watch the film and decide if it was defamatory. “Let him conclude per se
if it is defamatory or not,” the judge said. Nithyananda’s advocate
immediately agreed to it and said, “That would be the most reasonable
thing to do. We are perfectly okay with a judicial mind watching it and
we will not have a change of mind.” Madan Patel’s advocate said that the
High Court judge himself could watch the movie. “There is a precedent
where the Supreme Court asked two high court judges to watch a movie.”
The judge said, “The censor members have watched it. So why not a judge.
You can record your prima facie objections after that.”
The judge adjourned the hearing to November 16 and said, “come back with suggestions.”
|
http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/10/20121108201211080628228760485d25/Judge-to-decide-on-Satyananda-after-watching-it.html
"I am Krishna and you are my Gopika," sounds like an appalling pickup line, but if the Karnataka police are to be believed, it was normally employed by 33-year-old Swami Nithyananda or Paramahamsa Nithyananda of the Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam at Bidadi, Karnataka, to seduce his female devotees.
ReplyDeleteThe 430-page chargesheet filed by the Karnataka CID on November 27 against Nithyananda was prompted by the complaint of a young lady (whose name and identity has been withheld by the CID as part of the witness protection programme) accusing the swami of sexual abuse at the Bidadi Ashram, 37 km from Bangalore, and in other locations. Her complaint says Nithyananda insisted on "seeking moksha through sexual union" with several female devotees by claiming to be incarnations of various gods.
The swami made them sign non-disclosure agreements (NDA) forbidding them to reveal sexual details. The signed NDA (in the possession of INDIA TODAY) states that "the volunteer understands that the programme may involve the learning and practice of ancient tantric secrets associated with male and female ecstasy, including the use of sexual energy for increased intimacy/spiritual connection, pleasure, harmony and freedom. Volunteer understands that these activities could be physically and mentally challenging and may involve nudity, access to visual images, graphic visual depictions and descriptions of nudity and sexual activity, close proximity and intimacy, verbal and written descriptions and audio sounds of a sexually oriented and erotic nature."
The agreement also absolves the ashram of any wrongdoing with an additional clause in the NDA: "By reading and signing this document, volunteer irrevocably acknowledges that he/she is voluntarily giving
unconditional acceptance of such activities and discharges the leader and the foundation, and anyone else not specifically mentioned here but directly or indirectly involved in the organisation, management or conduct of any such programmes from any liability, direct or indirect, arising from such activities."A further sentence states that the "volunteer also affirms that he/she does not find sexual or adult-oriented material associated with the practice of any tantric rituals or any other adult material to be offensive or objectionable."
Nithyananda's Spiritual Wares
Advanced inner awakening programme: $6,000
Holy rudraksha bracelet: $12
Rudraksha mala: $35
Meditation kit: $30
Silver replica of his feet: $20
Silver Guru Puja Set containing his picture, silver diya, haldi and kumkum boxes: $550
Perpetual Calendar with the Joke of the Day: $12
DIG of the CID says no court would admit an agreement like this, "full of illegalities, but we are quite sure that by the time the victims signed it, they had already been exploited or brainwashed with not much of a chance to protest." The cops claim to have snagged video clips showing the godman in compromising positions with at least five women-a charge the ashram scoffs at. "It's difficult to put a
number to his victims, but I would guess not less than 15," says cid
http://recent-news-update.blogspot.in/2010/12/nithyananda-more-revelations.html