BANGALORE: The devotion of actress Ranjitha was misrepresented by the media, said Swami Nithyananda on Thursday.
The selfstyled godman, who is out on bail, broke his silence on the alleged sex scandal through a YouTube broadcast.
Nithyananda, in his online broadcast, for the first time spoke about his links with actress Ranjitha.
The swami described her as a "sincere and humble" devotee and said he was hurt by the pain caused to her and her family.
"When the scam broke out, I was not hurt that I was accused of sleazy acts," he said in the YouTube video. "But I was extremely hurt for all the pain and suffering caused to my devotees, especially Ranjitha and her family members."
He said "people who wanted to attack me or take revenge on me, they could have done it directly and not in a manner to hurt my devotees".
Nithyananda spent more than 50 days in jail after being charged with rape.
He landed in trouble after a TV channel aired a CD featuring him and actress Ranjitha in a compromising position.
"They should not have ruined the life of my devotee," said Nithyananda, referring to Ranjitha.
He said he had sent his prayers and blessings to her family members.
"She is such a wonderful devotee who has done so much voluntary work for the organisation," he said.
Earlier this month, a group named Akhila Bharata Hindu Mahasabha protested and sought action against K Lenin, the man who released the CD, "for misinterpreting the motherson relationship of Ranjitha and Nithyananda".
The organisation claimed that Ranjitha had adopted him and treated him like her son.