Sex Swami alleges blackmail, says he paid Rs 10 crore as ransom

Mangalore Today News Network

Bangalore. Jan 5:  Investigations have revealed that Swami Nithyananda was blackmailed just before the sex scandal broke out.

During interrogation, Nithyananda confessed before CID investigators that a journalist allegedly took Rs. 10 crore as ransom from one of his followers with a promise that he would not make the CDs public.

Nithyananda said that the journalist came to meet him with an advocate before the scam broke out. He then informed Nithyananda that he was in possession of some video clips, and would release them to the media if he has not paid Rs. 25 crore.

Nithyananda confessed that after bargaining, the amount was brought down to Rs. 10 crore and was paid by one of his disciples.

"It shows Nithyananda’s role in the scam as he readily consented to pay the amount. If he is not guilty he could have filed a complaint," said a police officer who is part of the investigations.

Ironically, Tamil Film actress Ranjitha had also made the same claim during her recent press conference, where she had mentioned that she was getting blackmail calls and ransom demands. 

"Ranjitha who denied of having any communication with Nithyananda soon after the scam, just repeated whatever the swami had confessed," said an officer adding that even Ranjitha never mentioned about any blackmails to us, when she has been questioned.

Brushing aside her claims, the source said that the duo were very much in touch with each other. "Even Nithyananda has confessed to us that he was in regular contact with Ranjitha before and after the scandal," he said.

"We are not working on this angle right now," said the official. "Other agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and IT department could take up the investigations about the money exchange.  "There are possibilities that many more skeletons will tumble," he added.

 

Ranjitha was in Swami Nithyananda’s sex video: CID

Bangalore, January 04:  The CID has thwarted the claims by Sandalwood actress Ranjitha that she was not part of the Swami Nithyananda sex video. The investigators have now said forensic reports show that she was indeed in the video. 

Ranjitha had claimed that she was not the woman in the video, but the CID, after comparing her photograph and the video with the help of the Forensic Science Lab (FSL) came to the conclusion that she was indeed in the video clip.

Investigators had already checked and crosschecked to ascertain the video’s authenticity when the scam was busted. Just to be sure, officials had sent the CD to the FSL in Hyderabad and Chandigarh, along with separate images of both Nithyananda and Ranjitha.

FSL experts, who tallied the video images with the photographs have confirmed that the images are genuine and are neither morphed nor any body double has been used, as claimed by Ranjitha earlier, sources in the CID said.

Reacting to Ranjitha’s claim, a CID official reiterated that both Nithyananda and Ranjitha’s images were sent separately to the FSL labs and both labs have confirmed that it’s genuine. "Anyone with a doubt can get it confirmed from anywhere else in the world."

Ranjitha had claimed that she was never been in touch with Nithyananda after the CD episode. But, a source said that Nithyananda himself had admitted before the CID that he went to Haridwar to keep away from media glare after the episode.

On the way to Haridwar, he had telephonic conversation with Ranjitha at the Hyderabad airport. In the meantime, Ranjitha had also told the CID officials in the statement that had a telephonic conversation with the swami on March 3, 2010.

She had then said that Nithyananda had asked her not to talk to the media about the visuals that were telecast. On Friday, Ranjitha claimed that the controversial video clips were morphed. Last June, Ranjitha had deposed before the CID officials in Chennai. In her statement then, she had no accused Lenin of any charges.

But, her new accusations (rape and extortion) against him have surprised investigators. "She could have told us while we were recording her statement in Chennai. She had never said anything against Lenin then," a source told MiD DAY.

At a press conference on Friday, Ranjitha said, "It is fabricated. I am not the person in it. In fact, at that time, I was in a room that I was sharing with another female devotee in the Dhyanapeetham ashram. I blame myself for this. It has affected my career though some people still have faith in me."