HC closes anticipatory bail plea filed by Nithyananda

The Madras High Court today closed an anticipatory bail plea filed by self-styled godman Nithyananda following a complaint after prosecution informed it that no FIR had been registered against him.
Nithyananda, founder of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam at Bidadi in Bengaluru, apprehended arrest by Salem cyber cell crime police and moved the court.
When the matter came up, the prosecution informed Justice AD Jagadish Chandira that no FIR has been registered against him.
Recording the submission, the judge closed the plea and said if required, the petitioner may appear before the police whenever the necessity arises.
According to Nithyananda, he received a notice from the Cyber Crime cell at Salem asking him to appear before it on February 22 following a complaint from Piyush Sethia alias Manush.

The complaint refers to certain abusive remarks posted on Facebook sent through a mobile phone.

Stating that the names mentioned in the complaint or the mobile number therein were not his or any official numbers that were allocated to any resident of his ashram, Nithyananda submitted that a number of persons came to his ashram daily.
He submitted that it would not be possible to exercise control over "use or abuse" of mobiles of visitors to the ashram.
The petitioner feared that he may be arrested as one of the alleged offences had been registered under Sec. 67 of the Information Technology Act, which was non-bailable.

He claimed that he was innocent and that a case had been foisted against him.
If arrested and sent to jail, he would suffer great humiliation and dishonour in the eyes of the general public, more particularly his followers, for no fault of his, he contended.