Sources in the Gujarat Police said that Nithyananda's passport (Number Z-1864348) was issued from Bengaluru office on October 1, 2008 and was valid till September 30, 2018.
The shocking fact was unearthed during the Gujarat Police's ongoing investigation.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Ahmedabad rural) K.T. Kamariya told : "The Bengaluru passport office has confirmed that accused's passport was not renewed. He, however, had applied for renewal but could not get the NOC (no objection certificate)".
The sources also said the investigation revealed that Nithyananda escaped from the country before the renewal date of his passport approached.
The Gujarat Police believe that Nithyananda is hiding himself somewhere in South America.
Now, the question arose that if Nithyananda had succeeded to flee from India why was he in a hurry for the passport renewal? Secondly, If passport could not be renewed, so how did he escape? Or he escaped before September 30, 2018?
"We are also trying to solve these riddles," said Kamariya.
A senior Gujarat Police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said: "The investigation so far have revealed that as the matter came before the court, the accused tried every possible trick to evade arrest, hence, he reached in the Kumbh 2018. But till then he had started hitting headlines that prompted the UP Police to keep him away from the religious gathering".
The Police had raided the Ahmedabad Ashram of the self-styled godman on Wednesday and rescued some women and children. Two women disciples of Nithyananda, who were the caretakers of the Ashram, have already been arrested by the police. A case was registered against three people two women and Nithyananda in this regard.
The Gujarat police have also learnt that Nithyananda also tried to participate in the Kumbh Mela 2018 but unfortunately his 'dirty deeds' came into the notice of the Uttar Pradesh government, which refused to allow him to participate.
(Sanjeev Kumar Singh Chauhan can be contacted at sanjeev.c@.in)
( With inputs from IANS )