In a significant development, the Madras High Court on Friday rejected a plea filed by self-proclaimed godman Nithyananda, seeking recognition as the head of four mutts in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts. The Division Bench, comprising Justices R Subramanian and C Kumarappan, upheld the earlier ruling of a single-judge bench, stating that it could not intervene in the appointments made by the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.
The Court emphasized that it did not see any grounds to interfere with the September 2024 decision by Justice M Dhandapani, which had dismissed Nithyananda’s claim to head the mutts. Justice Dhandapani had ruled that Nithyananda’s position as head was untenable following serious allegations, including a rape case. The Court also raised concerns over the validity of the representation made on Nithyananda’s behalf, especially given his “unknown whereabouts.”
Nithyananda’s petition, filed through advocate Godson Swaminathan, argued that the single-judge’s ruling was incorrect. He further claimed that he resided at Kailasa, a self-declared “nation” recognized by the United Nations with diplomatic relations with over 50 countries, although this claim has not been verified by authorities.
Despite these assertions, the Division Bench rejected the appeal, stating there was no merit in the case. The Court also stressed that the observations made by either the single-judge bench or the Division Bench should not influence the trial courts handling the criminal cases against Nithyananda.
Case: Nithyananda Swami vs Commissioner – Available on LAWFYI.IO
