Sex-scam accused godman freed on bail

BANGALORE - Self-styled godman Swami Nityananda, involved in an alleged sex scam, was released from jail Saturday, a day after the Karnataka High Court granted him bail on several conditions.

Nityananda walked out of the jail in Ramanagara, about 40 km from here, after furnishing a Rs.100,000 bond and two personal sureties.

He has also surrendered his passport to Ramanagara police, who have registered several criminal cases, including rape, against him.

The high court has ordered Nityananda not to give any public discourses and report to the police once in a fortnight.

Nityananda had been behind bars in Ramanagara for over 50 days.

Nityananda, who has a sprawling ashram at Bidadi, about 30 km from Bangalore, was arrested from Himachal Pradesh April 21, more than a month-and-a-half after a TV channel telecast video footage showing him in a sexual act with a woman, believed to a Tamil film actress. Bidadi is in Ramanagara district.

Nityananda claimed the footage was morphed.