Nityananda sex scandal
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into Sun_TV_(India). (Discuss) Proposed since October 2016. |
On 2 March 2010 a morphed[1][2][3] video was broadcast by Tamil television channel Sun News that allegedly showed two people engaging in seemingly sexual acts. The channel alleged that the people in the video were Nithyananda and Tamil film actress Ranjitha.[4][5][6]
On 18 December 2012 the COO of SunTV also came forward and confessed that the morphed video was made by the channel and uploaded to YouTube.[7] A lawsuit was filed against Sun TV for extortion by Nithyananda and his council.
Many more cases were files against Sun TV and its managing director Kalanidhi Maran for its involvement in Aircel-Maxis case where according to Enforcement Directorate, Maran brothers had illegally generated Rs. 742.58 cr (~ $120 million).[8] Several of these cases were clubbed together and trials are in progress to date. Several legal action on Sun TV are in process.[9]
Morphed Video[edit]
Forensic Reports[edit]
On 16 March 2012 reports by four independent U.S. based forensic experts who are often employed by FBI, was submitted to CID. All of them reported the video to be morphed.
One of the experts, Edward Joe, said "the video is not genuine and authentic. It is not a representation of facts and events as they occurred. Furthermore, the video appears to be layered and not a composite video. As a video forensic expert, I recommend that this video be excluded from any factual relevance to the events that appear to be happening".[3]
Other three experts David Notowitz, Joe Yonowitz, Bryan Neumeister also had similar conclusions.[2][10][11][12]
Petition to Quasi Judicial body BCCC[edit]
On 3 September 2013, Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC) directed some the channel Star Vijay to apologize to Ranjitha Menon for telecast of a defamatory program showing morphed video. She had filed a writ petition before the HC of Karnataka which had forwarded the case to BCCC. The channel was asked to run a scroll featuring the apology every two hours on its channel for seven days starting September 9. This judgement set precedent for other channels which were involved in similar activity.[13]
Role of Aarti Rao[edit]
On 2 March 2010, a the morphed video surfaced on YouTube and Sun News.
On 21 April 2010, Lenin Karuppan, registered an FIR against Nithyananda alleging rape without specifying any victim.[14] In the over 2,75,000 cases of rape registered in India in the last decade, this was the only case of rape where there was no victim mentioned.
On 29 March 2010, the police made an open appeal on television, newspapers, social media like Facebook for “victims” to come forward and declared that even their travel expenses would be given by the police. However no victim could be found.[14]
On 21 April 2010, even without a "rape victim" Nithyananda was arrested.
On 12 June 2010 Nithyananda was granted bail, with the police filling a memo to the High Court of Karnataka, citing absence of any victim. The case was in process of being squashed. Later after five years of trial when the matter reached the Supreme Court Bench, observed that the arrest on 21 April 2010 was illegal.
On 17 August 2010, Ms. Arathi Rao came forward as a "witness" (rape victim).
Arathi Rao, gave a detailed account of her five-year experience with the guru. She alleged that Nithyananda repeatedly raped her and threatened her with dire consequences if she revealed it to anybody. Arathi also claimed that it was she who had secretly filmed Nithyananda's sex tapes with a Tamil actress.[15] Soon after Arathi Rao fled to the US and secured US citizenship. She also filed the same legal case in Ohio Civil Court.
On 6 August 2014 the United States District Court Southern District of Ohio issued a judgment against Mrs. Aarthi S. Rao and in favor of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam of Columbus in Delaware, Ohio (NDC) (Case No. 2:13-CV-00526) fining her nearly half a million dollar for false public statements.[16]
More than six years later, on 1 August 2016 the case filed by Lenin Karuppan on 21 April 2010 was squased by the High Court of Karnataka. Lenin Karuppan and Arathi Rao are currently facing prosecution for the blackmail, extortion and criminal conspiracy by them against Swami Nithyananda in the trial Court in Chennai.[17] When the case was originally filed there was nationwide coverage of the news. However, when the case was squashed not even a single news channel covered it.
Impact on Nithyananda[edit]
Impact on Sun TV[edit]
The Chennai Police registered an FIR on 31 July 2011 against Mr. Saxena and Mr. Iyappan of Sun TV Network, Nakkheeran Gopal and Kamraj, Lenin Karuppan, his brother Kumar, his co-conspirators Aarthi Rao, advocate Sridhar and Prasanna Kumar, under various sections including 341, 342,392, 323, 420 & 506 (ii) IPC including extortion, criminal conspiracy and criminal intimidation following a complaint by the ashram administration.
On 18 December 2012 the COO of SunTV also came forward and confessed that the morphed video was made by the channel and uploaded to YouTube.[7] A lawsuit was filed against Sun TV for extortion by Nithyananda and his council.
2 March 2015, Arathi Rao, Lenin and Sun TV executives chargesheeted for extortion and criminal conspiracy against Swami Nithyananda. Lenin was denied anticipatory bail by Apex Court of India.
8 June 2015 Sun TV Shares droped by 26% on NSE after MHA denied security clearance to 33 of its channels due to SunTV linked to major fraud probe.[18]
Many more cases were files against Sun TV and its managing director Kalanidhi Maran for its involvement in Aircel-Maxis case where according to Enforcement Directorate, Maran brothers had illegally generated Rs. 742.58 cr (~ $120 million).[8] Several of these cases were clubbed together and trials are in progress to date. Several legal action on Sun TV are in process.[9]
Impact on Nithyananda[edit]
The video had severe impact on life of Nithyananda, his organization and of his disciples.
Even after release of the forensic reports, it was widely believed that the video was real because of the repeated telecast and coverage by various media houses. This incident also resulted in protests outside the ashram during which a fire broke out.[19]
Nithyananda also willingly volunteered to go through potency tests to further strengthen his argument that since he was not capable of indulging in sexual acts the whole case was false and redundant. On 5 August 2014 the Supreme Court of India stayed order on medical test of Nithyananda, citing that it was violation of dignity of a person. The Supreme Court Bench was displeased with the speed with which the investigation was proceeding and lingering since 2010 in Ramanagaram Court.[20] To speed up the trials, on 3 September 2014 the Supreme Court of India ruled that Nithyananda will take potency test.[21]
On November 27, 2014, reports of the potency tests that were conducted on Nityananda were released to the media. The reports pointed to Nithyananda's vascular impotency and hypogonadism.[22][23][24]
Legacy[edit]
Nityananda's life was made a derrogatory movie in Telugu starring Ravi Chetan as the prodigal Nityananda
During Nasik Kumbh Mela 2015 Mahant Narendra Giri, the head of Akhada Parishad, lauded and praised Nithyananda, saying, "Swamiji is the backbone of Hinduism! Nithyananda Swami has not only done the work of Hinduism here, but he has taken the respect and honor of Hinduism all over the world. A human being cannot go forward or achieve big things in his life without tests and without hard work. Swamiji was put under so many attacks, but still he is untouched and is established in enlightenment. One day Paramahamsa Nithyananda is going to be the Guru for the whole world!"[25]
There are some 11,500 videos covering this scandal on YouTube, 300 out of which directly show case the morphed video as factual even after orders from Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC).[26] As per the orders of BCCC broadcast of this morphed video amounts to contempt of court.
Several news channels retain and still publish more and more articles with titles such as "sex", "condoms", etc. in relation to Nithyananda.[27][28] In Kumbh mela alone 31 derrogatory articles were published by newspaper on the case which has been long concluded by the courts. Several cases on defamation and extortion are in process against various news channels and print media.
References[edit]
- ↑ "Nithyananda video: Ranjitha dons saffron, now Ma Anandmayi". 28 December 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Joe Report Part - 1". youtube.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Edward Video Analysis Report". youtube.
- ↑ Jacob Copeman; Aya Ikegame, eds. (2012). The Guru in South Asia: New Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Routledge. pp. 20–21. ISBN 9780415510196. Search this book on
- ↑ "India sex scandal guru arrested". BBC News. 21 April 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ↑ "Nithyananda statement differs from Ranjitha story". Deccanherald.com. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Medical tests exonerate Nithyananda of rape charge?". dnaindia. 15 Oct 2014.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Aircel-Maxis case: A timeline". thehindu.com. 27 February 2016.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "ED move to attach Sun TV assets stayed by SC".
- ↑ "Joe Report Part - 2". youtube.
- ↑ "Joe Report Part - 3". youtube.
- ↑ "Joe Report Part - 4". youtube.
- ↑ "Channel ordered to apologise to Ranjitha".
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Nityanand probe: CID asks 'victims' to depose".
- ↑ "Condoms, drugs and secret contracts... the story of why Nithyananda is in trouble". India Today. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ↑ "Nearly Half a Million Dollar Judgment in Favor of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam of Ohio Issued by U.S. Federal Court". Prweb. 16 August 2014.
- ↑ "Lenin Karuppan's false case against Swami Nithyananda quashed by Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka".
- ↑ "Sun TV Shares Drop 26% on NSE after MHA Denies Security Clearance to 3 of its Channels".
- ↑ "Actor Ranjitha becomes Nithyananda's sanyasini".
- ↑ "Supreme Court stays order on medical test of Nithyananda". dnaindia. 5 August 2014.
- ↑ "'Sex Swami' Nithyananda Will Take Potency Test, Rules Supreme Court". NDTV. 3 September 2014.
- ↑ "Bengaluru: Medical test indicates Nithyananda is man". Daiji World. 27 Nov 2014.
- ↑ "Bengaluru: Medical reports prove Nithyananda's potency, confirm him as a man". Deccan Chronicle. 27 Nov 2014.
- ↑ "Nithyananda isn't Impotent: Medical Report". AP Today. 27 Nov 2014.
- ↑ Nithyananda (2015-10-22), Paramahamsa Nithyananda backbone of Sanatan Dharma; Narendragiriji, Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, retrieved 2016-02-20
- ↑ "youtube nithyananda sex scandal - youtube".
- ↑ "Condoms, drugs and secret contracts... the story of why Nithyananda is in trouble".
- ↑ "Alcohol, sex rampant at Nithyananda's ashram, says Bangalore techie".
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