Pro-Kannada outfits and NGOs protest against Nithyananda

Bangalore, Jun 16: Pro-Kannada outfits, NGOs besides a mutt seer and IT professionals today staged a protest here demanding that controversial self-styled godman Nithyananda be sent out of Karnataka.

Shouting slogans against Nithyananda who was granted conditional bail in a criminal case against him, the protesters, including Kalika Mutt seer Rishi Kumar, demanded that the self-styled godman, embroiled in criminal cases including rape, be sent out of the state.

Nithyananda was yesterday released from Mysore Central Prison hours after he was granted bail by the District Executive Magistrate.

The self-styled godman, already facing criminal charges, including rape and out on bail after his arrest in 2010, courted fresh trouble when police on June 8 booked him and his followers for allegedly assaulting a mediaperson at a press conference at his ashram at nearby Bidadi.

The press meet was held against the backdrop of a US-based woman alleging that Nithyananda had sexually abused her for five years, a charge that triggered public outrage and protests by Kannada groups.

PTI