Bangalore:
The criminal investigation department (CID) has filed a chargesheet against self-styled godman Swami Paramahamsa Nityananda and four of his disciples, including a woman, before the court of chief judicial magistrate in Ramanagaram.
The investigating officer, superintendent of police KN Yogappa, filed the 430-page chargesheet against the swami and others on Saturday.
They were accused of rape and unnatural sex, among others.
Nityananda, alias Rajashekaran, has been charged under sections 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural sex), 417 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
His disciple Nitya Bhaktananda, alias Gopala Seelam Reddy, has been charged for harbouring an offender under IPC sections 212 and 120-B.
Reddy and Nityananda were arrested on April 21 this year from Himachal Pradesh's Solan district, where they had been hiding after a private television channel on March 2 aired the visuals of a man, purportedly the godman, in a compromising position with a Tamil actress.
Another disciple of the controversial swami, Nitya Sachidananda, alias Shiva Vallabhaneni, accused of destroying evidence, was charged under section 201 IPC and for criminal conspiracy.
He was allegedly involved in destroying several non-disclosure agreements signed by devotees, agreeing to follow the rules and regulations of the spiritual centre. He is currently in judicial remand.
Another ashram inmate, Nitya Sadananda, alias Dhana Shekaran, was also chargesheeted for destroying evidence.
A woman disciple, Maa Sachidananda alias Ragini, would stand trial for criminal conspiracy, besides Section 37 read with section 376 and 377 IPC, for her role in assisting the accused in committing rape and sodomy.
Maa Sachidanand and Nitya Sadananda were not yet arrested.
The cases were registered in March by the Bidadi police, after it were transferred to them by their Chennai counterparts.
The cases were filed on complaints by Nityananda's former driver and Chennai resident Karuppa Lenin and TM Vishwanath of Coimbatore. The cases were later handed over to the CID.
Additional director-general of police MN Reddi said the investigating team had examined 101 witnesses, living in India and abroad, and collected more than 60 documents.
A woman witness, whose identity was not revealed, appeared before the investigating officer and deposed that she was repeatedly raped by Nityananda at his ashram in Bidadi, and also in other parts of the country.
The spiritual leader allegedly conned the woman by saying that engaging in sexual acts with him would help her achieve enlightenment and lead to moksha (salvation).
The investigation team had seized several non-disclosure agreements signed between the devotees and ashram. Many more such agreements were allegedly destroyed by the ashram.
The case against the godman had grabbed national and international attention and was conducted under the supervision of deputy inspector-general of police KSR Charan Reddy of the CID.
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