Nityananda arrested; bail plea posted for Thursday

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Absconding controversial self-styled godman Nithyananda was on Wednesday arrested when he came to present himself before a court at Ramanagar, about 40 km from here, in connection with an assault case against him that has landed him in fresh trouble.

Nithyananda, whose whereabouts remained unknown since the latest case of assault and threat to life was registered on June 8, appeared before the judicial magistrate court and filed a bail application.

"Since no order on his custody or bail was passed by the court, the Ramanagara police arrested Nityananda as soon as he came out of the court premises," Ramanagara SP Anupam Aggarwal said.

Nityananda's bail petition will be heard on Thursday, he said. He was whisked away in a police vehicle but not before a crowd of people who had gathered at the court premises heckled him.

The self-styled godman appeared in the court within hours after the ashram announced he would return tomorrow and resume regular activities and the Karnataka High Court adjourned to June 15 hearing on his petition seeking quashing of the fresh FIR against him.

Nityananda, already facing criminal charges including rape and out on bail after his arrest in 2010, courted fresh trouble when police on June 8 booked him and his followers for allegedly assaulting a mediaperson during a press conference at his ashram at Bidadi near here.

The press meet was held in the backdrop of a US-based woman alleging that Nityananda had sexually abused her for five years, a charge that triggered public outrage and protests by Kannada groups.

Coming under intense pressure from various quarters for action against the self-styled godman's 'objectionable activities' at his ashram, Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda had on Monday said he would be arrested in two days.

A search warrant was issued by police against him even as a high-level team of officials and police continued their searches at his ashram for the second day on Wednestoday.