Madurai: The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court today revealed surprising information about the whereabouts of self-proclaimed godman Nithyananda during the hearing of an appeal against the ban on Swami Nithyananda from the Tiruvannamalai Mutt.
The court was told that spiritual leader Nithyananda, who fled India on rape charges, is currently living in a self-proclaimed country called "USK" near Australia. Till now, there was a lot of debate about the location of Kailash.
The court scolded Swami Nithyananda's followers over the location of the "Kailas" country. A division bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and Maria Klet raised sharp questions about Nithyananda’s physical location during the hearing of an appeal against a single-judge order banning him from the Adhinam Math. “Where is the petitioner? Where is this Kailash?” the judge asked, as Nithyananda’s disciple Arachana Tirumala claimed that the controversial guru had set up a “United States of Kailash” (USK) near Australia with UN recognition.
The court allowed Nithyananda’s followers to appoint new legal representation. However, it expressed doubts about the jurisdictional complexities of dealing with petitioners claiming sovereignty over another world. The development comes years after Nithyananda first announced his intention to form his own nation after multiple criminal cases were filed against him in India.
Nithyananda, who fled India:
Wanted in India since 2019 for rape, kidnapping and fraud cases, Nithyananda has been in the news for his bizarre statements. After fleeing India, he announced the formation of a “Kailas” nation in 2020. He was accused of buying islands near Ecuador. He recently appeared live on March 30 to bless devotees for Ugadi. He had denied the allegations against him. Now, Nithyananda’s Kailash address has been officially revealed by his disciples.
The original case arose from Nithyananda’s challenge against restrictions preventing him from entering the Shaiva monastery in Tiruvannamalai. An interim injunction was granted earlier, but the Hindu Religious and Endowments Department has opposed any relief.