“It is Ranjitha and Nithyananda in the video,” says Lenin Karuppan

Lenin KaruppanLenin Karuppan, a one-time disciple of Swami Nithyananda, on Friday stuck to his claim that the video clips showing the self-styled godman and Ranjitha in compromising postures were genuine — and not doctored as claimed by the actress earlier in the day.

“It is Ranjitha and Nithyananda in the video. The forensic sciences laboratory in New Delhi has certified its genuineness. I am ready to demonstrate anywhere that the video is real,” he said at a press conference here, within hours after the actress told the media in Bangalore that the CD, released to the press ten months ago, was “morphed”. She had, on Thursday, filed a criminal complaint against Lenin and two others on the matter.

Lenin, rubbishing the allegations, played an audio conversation to reporters and claimed that it was the voice of Nithyanandha who was pleading, trying to pacify and reach a compromise solution with him. He alleged that Nithyanandha had been running businesses and leading a luxurious life, besmirching the Hindu sanyasi tradition.

“Nithyananda is behind the complaint. Their intention is to divert the issue, harass and take revenge on me,” he added.

To a question, he denied that he connived with Arathi Rao — a former Nithyananda follower — as alleged by Ranjitha, and fabricated the visuals. The name of Arathi and another person, Sridhar, have been mentioned in the complaint filed by the actress.

As for Ranjitha, she said she would continue to be a devotee of Nithyananda, and claimed that the media had “hounded and maligned” her “just because I am a public personality”. And added: “I am just an ordinary woman with my own fears. I did not know what will happen to me or to my parents. So I went off. I was not absconding.” Ranjitha said she was interested in social work and spirituality. She said the video episode had harmed her career but she was still getting offers. “I have been in the film world for 18 years now. This episode did harm my career but I am still getting offers.” She has so far acted in more than 100 films.

Interestingly, another Nithyananda disciple, Ma Nithya Supriyananda, in separate complaint, alleged that Lenin had attempted to rape her and also abused her too. Supriyananda also alleged threat to life and verbal abuse of her community (Scheduled Caste). She further alleged that the Bidadi station police were “biased and unfair” and said they treated her complaint as a “petition” suspecting her bonafides.

Nithyananda has been chargesheeted by the police with rape, unnatural sex, cheating, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy. Four associates, including a woman, have been chargeshetted. Hailing from Tamil Nadu, the swami was arrested from Himachal Pradesh’s Solan on April 21. – Express Buzz, Jan. 1, 2011


Ranjitha“Its not me in the sex video,” says Ranjitha

Tamil actress Ranjitha on Friday denied that she was the woman in a sex romp video involving self-styled godman Nityananda Swami. “I am not the woman in the video,” Ranjitha said at a press meet in Bangalore in her first public appearance after the sex scandal broke out in March. “What has happened in the last few months has been fabricated,” Ranjita, who on Thursday lodged a police complaint against Lenin Karuppan, former driver of Nityananda who caught the swami in the sex act and then released the video clippings.

Ranjitha said she had no knowledge about alleged sexual exploitation by the swami.

“I do not know anything about this. I came to know only from media reports.”

She, however, asserted: “I am a devotee of Nityananda and will remain so.”

Ranjitha claimed that media had hounded and maligned her just because she was a public personality.

She denied she had absconded after the video was telecast, first by some Tamil TV channels.

“I was scared. I was threatened. Hence I left for the United States on March 3 and returned on June 14,” Ranjitha said.

“I am an ordinary woman with my own fears. I did not know what will happen to me or to my parents. So I went off. I was not absconding,” she said.

The actress said she decided to come into the open as “I was tired of being hounded and maligned when I had not done any wrong”.

In the complaint she filed with Ramanagaram police Thursday, she accused Lenin and two others of maligning her image.

Ranjitha said she has been a devotee of Nityananda for over a year now as she was interested in social work and spirituality. She said the video episode had harmed her career but she was still getting offers.

“I have been in the film world for 18 years now. This episode did harm my career but I am still getting offers.”

Nityananda has been chargesheeted by the police with rape, unnatural sex, cheating, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy. Four associates, including a woman, have also been chargesheeted.

Nityananda, who has a sprawling ashram complex at Bidadi about 35 km from Bangalore, in Ramanagaram district, is on bail.

Hailing from Tamil Nadu, the swami was arrested from Himachal Pradesh April 21 after being on the run since March 3 when the video clip was telecast on several TV channels. – Hindustan Times, Jan. 1, 2011

Nithy’s sex videos are added to YouTube and then taken down regularly. We cannot keep up with the changes!

Earlier Reports

  1. Driver claims Nithyananda threatening him, trying to buy him off – Media Reports  https://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/driver-claims-nithyananda-is-threatening-him-trying-to-buy-him-off-media-report/
  2. CID charges Nithyananda with rape, sodomy, cheating, conspiracy and criminal intimidation – Media Reports  https://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/cid-charges-nithyananda-with-rape-sodomy-cheating-conspiracy-and-criminal-intimidation-media-reports/
  3. Nithyananda-Ranjitha sex tape not tampered – CID https://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/nithyananda-ranjitha-sex-tape-not-tampered-cbi/
  4. Nithy arrested in Himachal Pradesh – Media Reports  https://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/tantrika-nityananda-arrested-in-himachal-pradesh-media-reports/
  5. Sex, lies, a feature film, Nithy & Ranjitha – Kunal M. Shah https://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/sex-lies-a-feature-film-nithy-and-ranjitha-kunal-m-shah/
  6. Nithy resigns from ashram and associated trusts – Media Reports https://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2010/03/30/nithy-resigns-from-ashram-trusts- Media Reports
  7. The Nithyananda Mea Culpa Interview? – Rajiv Malhotra https://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/video-the-nityananda-mea-culpa-interview-rajiv-malhotra/
  8. Debutante Dharma-Gurus: Violating a civilizational patent – Sandhya Jain https://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2010/03/21/debutante-dharma-gurus-violating-a-civilisational-patent-sandhya-jain/
  9. Nithyananda videos:  A testing time for Hindus – Radha Rajan  https://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2010/03/05/nityananda-videos-a-testing-time-for-hindus-radha-rajan/
  10. All videos available at http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ranjitha+and+nithyananda&aq=f

One Response

  1. Nithyananda lodges plaint against Sun TV Group

    CHENNAI: Members of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, the ashram run by tainted godman Nithyananda, handed over a complaint to the Commissioner of Police in the city on Wednesday, alleging they had been threatened, assaulted and money had been extorted from them by persons related to the media houses that brought out the video allegedly showing their leader being intimate with actress Ranjitha.

    The complaint was filed by Nithyathmaprabhananda, the manager of Nithyananda’s ashram. It identified Lenin and Aarthi Rao as the persons who produced the obscene video and also accused the duo of blackmailing, threatening and extorting money from representatives of the ashram.

    The complaint notes that ashram representatives had been held hostage and beaten up till they coughed up close to Rs 40 lakh. It also names an advocate Sridhar, an individual named Kumar, Nakkeeran Gopal and Kamaraj of the Nakkeeran group of publications, Sun Network COO Hansraj Saxena and his aide Iyappan as among others who threatened and ordered assaults on representatives of the ashram.

    “We didn’t give the complaint earlier because the situation was not conducive. We have been threatened, harassed and assaulted. We request the government to take stringent action against these people,” said Nithyananda, reflecting the words of actress Ranjitha from a day earlier.

    His complaint also included a recording of a phone conversation with Sridhar threatening the ashram representatives to pay up or have the obscene video published and broadcast.

    The complaint carries a detailed account of the negotiation process between ashram representatives, initially with Sridhar and subsequently with Nakkeeran Gopal, Kamaraj and Iyappan.

    When questioned as to why he chose to pay up, Nithyananda said, “When a crorepati like Aircel Sivasankaran can be armtwisted into paying up, what option did a sanyasi like me have.” Nithyananda also said that the group which had extorted him had an eye on his ashram’s property, resulting in the smear campaign.- The New Indian Express, July 14, 2011

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