No bail, Nithya in 1-day cop custody

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Godman Nithyananda, who was on the run for the last six days, surfaced in Ramanagaram and sought bail before a magistrate on Wednesday. But the judicial officer rejected the petition and sent him to one-day police custody.

The police, who were searching for the godman in a case related to sexual harassment at his Bidadi ashram, were clueless about his whereabouts. He arrived at the District Sessions Court at 2.40 pm in a Skoda car with Kerala registration (KL 11 AA 9669), accompanied by a dozen disciples.

“He had not come to surrender. He came with a bail petition. But the magistrate issued a one-day police custody and his case will be heard on Thursday,” said SP Anupam Agarwal. Nithyananda walked into the court with media and the public trying to get a glimpse of him. District Magistrate Komala first ordered that Nithyananda be sent to judicial custody. But when Mr Agarwal requested for the godman’s custody, the magistrate handed him over to police for a day.

Thousands had gathered at the court to protest against Nithyananda. The angry public attacked his disciples, including women. They were rescued when others arrived in four-wheelers and took them away. A few miscreants beat up a lawyer mistaking him to be Nithyananda’s follower. The lawyer ran inside the court and got his colleagues out . The lawyers warned media men that they would face an attack similar to that of the City Civil Courts complex. They stopped media personnel at the entrance and hit them.