How was Nithyananda allowed to leave India, HC asks Karnataka

“To what end is prosecution being pursued if A1 has left the country,’’ the court asked the government counsel. “How was he allowed to leave?’’

Nithyananda Swami, Swami Nithyananda, Nithyananda rape case, Nithyananda case, Swami Nithyananda rape case, India news, Indian Express

Nithyananda is accused of rape. (File)

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday questioned the state government how self-styled godman Nithyananda alias Rajashekharan (44) was allowed to leave the country when he is an accused in a rape case in which a trial is on.

A single judge of the high court raised the question while hearing a plea by Lenin Karuppan, an aide-turned- adversary of Nithyananda, who is seeking the quashing of a notice issued to him by the trial court, and transfer of the trial from a court in Ramanagara district to the city of Bengaluru.

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High Court judge Justice G Narendar directed the court registrar general to obtain records of the trial of the rape case after it was informed by Karnataka government that the “godman” had been granted permanent exemption from attending proceedings in the trial court at Ramanagara.

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“To what end is prosecution being pursued if A1 has left the country,’’ the court asked the government counsel. “How was he allowed to leave?’’

In the petition in the High Court over a warrant issued by the trial court, Lenin Karuppan, Nithyananda’s former driver, who levelled the first sexual misconduct allegations against the self-styled godman in March 2010, has questioned the permanent exemption granted by the trial court.

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