Swami Nithyananda booked over alleged kidnapping of children for Ahmedabad ashram work

Trouble has emerged for self-styled godman Swami Nithyananda as the police have now filed an FIR over allegations of the kidnapping of children for his ashram's work in Ahmedabad. Swami Nithyananda is the founder of Nithyananda Dhyanpeetham Ashram based in the city. This came after a couple petitioned the Gujarat High Court on Monday for help to get back two daughters who they alleged have been illegally confined at Nithyananda's ashram.

The Gujarat police after filing the case has begun an investigation into the matter. As per sources, the controversial godman allegedly used the children to get donations for his ashram. Based on this, the police also arrested Swami Pran Priyananda and Priyatatva Riddhi of the ashram on Tuesday.

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Petition in Gujarat HC

Petitioners Janardana Sharma and his wife told the Gujarat High Court on Monday that they had admitted their four daughters, from 7 to 15 years of age to an educational institution run by Swami Nithyananda in Bengaluru in 2013. When they learned that their daughters were this year shifted to another branch of Nithyananda Dhyanpeetham, named Yogini Sarvagyapeetham, situated on the premises of Delhi Public School in Ahmedabad, they tried to meet them. However, officials of the institute allegedly refused to let them meet their daughters, the petitioners alleged. With help from the police, the Sharmas visited the institute and managed to bring back their two minor daughters, but their elder daughters, Lopamudra Janardhana Sharma (21) and Nandita (18), refused to accompany them, according to the petition.

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Serious allegations

They alleged their two younger daughters were kidnapped and kept in illegal confinement for more than two weeks and were deprived of sleep. In the plea, the Sharmas have sought the court's direction to the police as well the institute's authorities to produce their daughters, who they alleged are being kept under "illegal confinement", before the court and hand them over. The couple has also asked for an investigation into other minors kept at the institute. In June last year, a Karnataka court had framed charges against Nithyananda in a rape case.

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