Nithyananda re-arrested, sent to one-day preventive custody

Ramanagar: Just hours after being granted bail by a court, controversial self-styled godman Nithyananda was re-arrested on Thursday and remanded to one-day preventive custody on charges of disturbing the peace.

Nithyananda, who was arrested on Wednesday after he appeared before a court to surrender in an assault case, was slapped with a fresh case of disturbing the peace in Ramanagara and surrounding areas of Nithyananda Ashram at Bidadi near Ramanagar.

He was arrested under different IPC Sections, including 151 (relating to disturbance of the public peace) and sent to one-day preventive custody, Ramanagara Superintendent of Police Anupam Agarwal said.

The self-styled godman Nithyananda was arrested under IPC Section 151 (relating to disturbance of the public peace).

Agarwal said Nithyananda would be taken to Mysore Central Prison to avoid any untoward incidents and added that the case would be heard on Friday and the Deputy Commissioner would take a further decision in the matter.

"Nithyananda has been exempted from personally attending the court. However, his lawyer will appear for him tomorrow (Friday)," Agarwal said.

Earlier in the day, Ramanagara Judicial First Class Magistrate Komala granted bail to Nithyananda subject to him furnishing one surety and a personal bond of Rs 50,000.

Public Prosecutor K Mohan Kumar said bail had been granted to Nithyananda since assault and life threat case against him were bailable.

The self-styled godman, 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 at a press conference at his ashram at nearby Bidadi.

Even as he faced the police action, Nithyananda filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking Rs 10 crore as damages to his ashram property from the state government.

Chief Minister DV Sadananda, Ramanagar District Deputy Commissioner and others have been named in the petition.

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