By Pamela Cosel
KXAN
April 4, 2011
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/crime/swamijis-bond-poster-responds-to-suit
 |
| Prakashanand Saraswati |
The Hays County District Attorney's Office confirmed Monday that attorneys for the businessman who posted the $10 million guaranteed bond for Shree Swamiji -- who skipped out on sentencing and is still evading authorities -- filed necessary paperwork in court by Monday's deadline in response to two lawsuits filed to keep the bond money.
The county filed one lawsuit against Peter Spiegel for the $1 million cash bond; the second is for the $10 million guaranteed money bond. Both were filed on March 7, the day Swamiji did not show up in court after his conviction on 20 counts of indeceny with a child.
The lawsuits will now proceed through the Hays County court system.
Hays County expects to keep the money posted on behalf of the 82-year-old Hindu guru, also known as Prakashanand Saraswati, who is nowhere to be found.
Law enforcement officials had information last week that Swamiji is hiding in Nuevo Laredo, with followers attempting to get him to India or Nepal.
Swamiji was due in court for the sentencing phase after the March 4 verdict wherein the jury found him guilty of molesting two young girls in the 1990s. He never showed up the following Monday for the sentencing hearing, which went on without him.
In the meantime, the status of the millions of dollars is another twist in the sex assault saga as officials yet try to track down the aging guru.
Anyone with information about Prakashandand's whereabouts is asked to contact Hays County Sheriff’s Office at 512-393-7896 or CRIME STOPPERS at 800-324-8477.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.