Godman Nithyananda has allegedly fled from India

Ahmedabad: Self-proclaimed god-man Nithyananda is suspected to have fled the country bypassing the security agencies. He is being questioned for his involvement in criminal cases including a rape case in Karnataka, and kidnapping and torture case in Gujarat.

According to sources, Nithyananda has not appeared in court for more than 40 hearings of the cases filed against him. Sources speculate that Nithyananda has escaped to Ecuador via Nepal. However, his passport had expired in September 2018 and has not been renewed, as confirmed by a former Ramanagara (Karnataka) superintendent of police. Renewal of passports is not done for criminally accused citizens.

Earlier, Ahmedabad (Rural) Superintendent of Police RV Asari said the god-man fled India after a rape case was registered against him in Karnataka. He added that it searching for him in Gujarat would be a waste of time. The statements were made after Gujarat police arrested three people including the principal of the Delhi Public School in Ahmedabad recently. Nithyananda was booked in a criminal case related to his ashram in Ahmedabad.

Two children aged 9 to 10 years enrolled at Nithyananda's ashram told the police they were tortured, made to work and kept in illegal confinement at a flat in the city for over ten days. Two of his disciples identified as Pranpriya and Priyatatva from his ashram were arrested on Tuesday on charges of assault, kidnapping and illegal confinement among other charges. They were sent to five days police remand by a Gujarat court on Wednesday evening. Police have revealed that similar complaints were raised by other occupants in the ashram as well, into which the probe is being done.