Bangalore: Self-styled godman Nithyananda, who had been reportedly absconding for days, surrendered in the Ramanagara district court in Karnataka on Wednesday. He has been sent to a day's judicial custody and may apply for bail on Thursday.
This came after the Karnataka High Court adjourned his plea for quashing the first FIR against him. Earlier on Wednesday, Nithyananda's ashram had issued a press release saying he would be back in his ashram on Thursday.
The police were on the look out for Nithyananda over allegations of sexual abuse. The police are also expected to arrest all those named in an FIR filed after an altercation between the media and his followers.
Nithyananda's lawyers had moved the Karnataka High Court to quash the first FIR on Tuesday. The state government is also set to take over his ashram near Bangalore ordering his property to be searched and seized.
Nithyananda is facing criminal charges, including rape, after a slew of complaints were filed against him in 2010 after some local TV channels telecast purported videos of the self-styled godman in a compromising position with an actress. Nithyananda was arrested and later released on bail.
On June 8, the police had lodged criminal cases against Nithyananda and his followers for allegedly assaulting a mediaperson during a press conference at his ashram on complaints from a regional TV channel reporter and activists of local group Nava Nirmana Sene in connection with an altercation at the ashram.
On a counter complaint by two followers of Nithyananda, the police also registered two FIRs against the reporter and Sene activists for alleged outrage of modesty, physical assault and threat to life.
(With additional information from PTI)
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