We Demand a CBI Probe, Says Mother of 24-year-old Who Was Found Dead Near Nithyananda's Ashram

New Delhi: As trouble brews for controversial godman Nithyananda, the mother of a 24-year-old woman who died under mysterious circumstances outside his ashram demanded on Tuesday a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Sangeetha had died at Nithyananda’s ashram on the outskirts of Bengaluru on December 28, 2014. After her death, her parents approached the Bengaluru Police and filed a complaint against Nithyananda alleging that she had been tortured and died under mysterious circumstances inside the ashram.

“The CBI should probe my daughter’s case as the Bengaluru Police failed to conduct an inquiry into Sangeetha’s death. Many women and children who reside in the Bengaluru ashram are being tortured and killed. To make sure they are safe, the CBI should investigate the case,” Sangeetha’s mother, Jansi Rani, told News18.

Sangeetha, who hailed from Trichy district, joined the ashram in 2010 and died four years later. While the ashram told the family she had succumbed to a heart attack, the parents suspected foul play and lodged a complaint with the Bengaluru Police.

In the complaint letter, the parents alleged that Sangeetha was assaulted in the ashram and that they had seen injury marks and bruises on her legs. The mother said she wanted to bring her daughter back but the officials did not allow her to meet the girl alone. The parents said Sangeetha was always accompanied by other 'sanyasis' to ensure that she did not reveal details of the ashram.

Nithyananda is also an accused in an alleged rape case filed against him in Karnataka. The godman has been on the run and two of his disciples, Pranpriya and Priyatatva, have been arrested by the Ahmedabad Police.

The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday, in response to a habeas corpus filed by the father of two women missing from the Ahmedabad ashram, directed police to use all available mechanism to trace the duo. A division bench directed the police to consult Interpol and Ministry of External Affairs, as well as other agencies, to trace the two women, ensure their protection from any threat, and assure them their independent will and choice will be respected by the judiciary.

Meanwhile, a 15 year-old-girl who was rescued from an ashram belonging to Nithyananda a month ago has alleged she was made to wear jewellery and makeup in the middle of the night and be a part of videos for him.