Nityananda hires Mumbai-based law firm

A local court in Karnataka on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of self-styled godman Nityananda Swami, arrested on criminal charges including rape, till May 26.

Police informed Sessions Court judge Vijayalakshmi that they were not in a position to produce Nityananda as its personnel have been drafted for security for the gram panchayat polls. The judge accepted the plea for extension of judicial custody.

Meanwhile, Nityananda has hired the services of a Mumbai-based law firm to replace Chandramouli, who withdrew from his cases. Vedavyas and Vivekananda Gupta of Nitin Prasad Associates would appear for Nityananda.

Nityananda landed in a controversy in March after local TV channels aired purported video footage showing him in a compromising position with a Tamil actress. He was arrested from Solan in Himachal Pradesh on April 21.