Bangalore, Jun 15 (PTI): A devotee of controversial godman Nithyanada today filed a habeas corpus petition in Karnataka High Court challenging his "illegal detention" immediately after being granted bail by the Ramanagara court yesterday. The petition was filed by Valli Ramanathan, an engineering graduate who has been associated with his ashram for the past nine years and now heads its publication division. The petitioner contended that immediately after a judicial order was passed to release Nithyananda on bail, he was 'whisked away' by police without allowing him have the benefit of the bail order and taken to the Deputy Commissioner's office. There he was informed of being detained under Sec 107 and 151 CrPC. She submitted that if police had an apprehension as contemplated in Sec 151 (relating to disturbance of public peace), nothing prevented them from reporting it to the court. Valli said the Investigating Officer was possibly under the impression that no bail would be granted. But after bail was granted, 'to defeat a judicial order contemptuously' he was taken to custody and produced before the Deputy Commissioner, who directed his detention in Mysore. The Commissioner of Police, Bangalore City, Deputy Commissioner Ramanagar District, Superintendent of Police, Ramanagar and Station House Officer, Bidadi police station, Ramanagar district have been named as respondents in the case.
