A salacious tape containing alleged sexual acts of spiritual guru Nithyananda Paramahamsa, telecast by TV channel in Tamil Nadu, India repeatedly since Tuesday, has triggered violence across the state and neighbouring Karnataka.
Nithyananda claimed that the video footage was
Irate members of the public have roughed up the guru's disciples in his ashrams located in the two states and also damaged his properties.
The tape, aired by the channel, shows a man, similar in appearance to the young long-haired guru, in a few minutes of sexual romp allegedly with a Tamil actress.
Nithyananda made a vain bid late in the evening to restrain the media from airing the tape, but a Chennai civil court did not grant any stay, opting to only order notices to some news organisations.
In his petition, the 32-year old guru claimed that the video footage was "a fake and morphed one.
He blamed an inmate of his ashram, Premananda alias Lenin Karuppan, for the morphing of his face to defame him.
Angry members of the public setting fire to a poster of the guru
The petition has been scheduled for March 8 for further hearing. The guru said he had 4.5 million devotees in 17 countries and was involved in social work and education besides spiritual activities.
In Chennai, a group of lawyers lodged a complaint against the guru at the police headquarters, seeking criminal action against him.
Alleging that he had amassed wealth worth several tens of millions of rupees, they demanded that the government confiscate his properties and freeze his accounts.
In Coimbatore, his posters were ripped off the street walls and staff in a yoga centre run by his devotees fled fearing an attack.
Reacting to the video, a statement from the the guru's Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam ashram at Bidadi in Karnataka said: "A mix of conspiracy, graphics and rumour are at play in these recent events that have unfolded."
"We are working on a legal course of action and will come up with updates in due course.''
An uneasy calm prevailed around the ashram in the suburbs of Bangalore. Police have cordoned off the premises.
- timesofindia.com/timesnow.tv
Published March 4 2010
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