Hindu guru Swami Nithyananda ' was blackmailed over sex video release'

London, Jan 6 (ANI): Investigations have revealed that a Hindu guru was blackmailed just before his sex scandal broke out.

During interrogation, Swami Nithyananda admitted that he paid 1.4 million pounds to a blackmailer to stop the release of a video of him having sex with a popular Indian film actress, reports the Telegraph.

According to an Indian newspaper, the swami reportedly told investigators that a journalist approached him last year and told him that he had the video footage, and threatened to release it to the media if he did not pay him more than 3.5 million pounds.

He confessed that after negotiating, the amount was reduced to 1.4 million pounds and was paid by one of his disciples.

The broadcast of a sex tape showing Nithyananda and Tamil actress Ranjitha last year caused outrage among his followers who rioted near his ashram retreat near Bangalore, Karnataka. (ANI)