The government has reportedly spent over Rs 20 lakh on police bundobast at the court hall in Ramanagaram when the controversial godman Nithyananda was being enlarged on bail on Thursday.
According to official sources, the police had developed cold feet when the JMF court released him on bail and had made unprecedented security arrangements. Two fire tenders, ambulances, Vajra vans with the Rapid Action Force and the entire district police was pulled in to ensure Nithyananda’s personal security.
At the last minute, Inspector General of Police, Internal Security, Bhaskar Rao was asked to take additional charge as IGP, Central Range in the absence of incumbent IGP Malini Krishnamurthy, who is in a training programme overseas.
The paranoia that he may be attacked or he may inflict some injury on his person, a constable was reportedly posted when Nithyananda went in to take his bath when he was in police custody for a day at the Channapatna Police Training Institute.
“We couldn’t afford to risk it. If something happened to him, the news would have flashed worldwide and the state police would have been cornered,” said a senior police officer.