I got dragged, beaten and abused🔗

In horror I saw many of my fellow sannyasis (Monks) being pushed, beaten up, abused and called names. While defending one of my sister disciples, Ma Nithya Deepikananda, I got hit in my stomach. I saw it coming but it caught me off guard. The force of his blow knocked me back a few steps. All my insides were crushing in. I felt dizzy and could feel my food running up my throat. As my crumpled body hit the ground, I gasped for air, but it eluded my grasp. I couldn’t breathe let alone protect my body from any more damage this assassin was willing to deal out. I landed on the ground, choking, trying to regain breath. Meanwhile, I was dragged, beaten up, abused, and my clothes were torn. I went unconscious.

On gaining composure I realised I was on being taken to a safe place by two of my sister disciples. On the way I saw Atmaprabha Swami (One of the administrator) being taken to the hospital in a car. He was in a pool of blood. I saw Sri Nithya Mayatita swami (camera person) limping with a gushing wound on his chin and forehead. On gaining my composure I got to know, so many of sanyasis (monks) were getting beaten and shoved around!

I got to know this later that all this while, Suvarna TV crew disgustingly, rolled their camera to telecast a live misrepresentation of whatever was happening inside - telling the world that Nithyananda’s disciples were getting violent and abusing the news reporters and attacking them!

I was attacked, was called prostitute and got arrested for the crime I don’t know and never did! Little did we know that it was just the beginning. The next day sannyasis and Aadheenam organised another press meet to clear the chaos and confusion that was being projected in media. Halfway through the press meet, the chaos started again, this time another assassin who sneaked into the campus, disguised as devotee and started demanding the speaker to communicate in regional Kannada language. Even though translation was being provided, he continued demanding from the speaker. Gradually, he started ruckus and vandalized the property with other assassins. They screamed at female sannyasis and blurted out the choicest of abuse- I was being called a prostitute! Is this really my homeland, India where I always wanted to return to. Anger, frustration, helplessness and intense pain waged a war inside me. I sat down in a corner, gathering myself.

I regained my awareness only when a woman police officer confronted me with an arrest warrant. She said, "Madam we have an arrest warrant against you. Please get inside the police vehicle quietly so we don't have to use any force"!

Everything for a moment just stood still! Arrest warrant! I couldn't believe my ears! I looked around desperately for other ashram inmates and found none. I was alone with the policemen. Little did I know that many of my fellow sannyasis and other ashramites had already been arrested and taken away. I asked the police woman who held my hand can I know the reason why I was being arrested. She said it would be told to me when I reached the police station. As she started pulling my hand, my mind raced to Swamiji. Where was he? Was he safe? To buy myself a time to see any of our people i deliberately started resisting the police saying,“ I won't go anywhere. First tell me the reason. Where are our people? I want to talk to them.”

A tussle followed which was telecast live all over on the tv channel! Like God send I saw my sister sannyasi Ma Deepika running towards us. She intervened and started arguing with the police who was inappropriately pulling my hand and my saree. Since we both were resisting arrest, they took both of us! Even in my worst nightmares, I had never visualised being arrested or in jail! Both of us held and pacified each other but deep inside we were petrified. It was around 4 PM and it was going to be dark soon. Only thought we had was our safety. Will we return at night. What if they keep us in jail at night and assault us. No known presence was around us to comfort us. Fear and exhaustion heightened the feeling of isolation, helplessness and terror.

We saw police had done mass arrest of our sannyasis and aadheenavasis, a false case was registered against us by Ajit, the Suvarna TV reporter who claimed that we attacked him. We were victims and we got arrested. Clearly, there was more than what was meeting the eye. We were told that Swamiji had been arrested, hearing this our hearts sank. Female sannyasis were forced one by one to give false statement against Swamiji, supporting the false rape charges against him. We were told we will be facing dire consequences if we choose to ignore them. Only then we realised that whatever was happening then was continuation of the persecution which started in

2010. They did whatever they could to do break our morals. We were released at 10 PM at night. My devotion for Swamiji deepened by this incident. No human would go through such atrocities for the sake of humanity. Our Guru was embodiment of God indeed. However whatever was happening against him was brutal injustice. Still, he is guilty inspite of being innocent because of few Hindu militant extremists who are too scared to not let him be free. Every attempt is still being made to put behind bars. Only hope I have now is the trust in cosmic justice!