Nithyananda and his many controversies

Swami Nithyananda is a self-styled godman who runs a number of ashrams across the country and heads the Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, a religious organisation which he founded. According to a video available on his website, Nithyananda attained ‘enlightenment’ at the age of 12. (Source: nithyananda.org)

A statue of Nithyananda. The video on his website introduces him as a spiritual leader of Hinduism and claims that he runs centres in 47 countries. Nithyananda has been booked after a couple from Tamil Nadu moved the Gujarat High Court, alleging their children were being held in illegal confinement at his ashram in Ahmedabad. (Source: nithyananda.org)

This is not the first time that Nithyananda has landed into a controversy. In 2010, a video of Nithyananda had surfaced on local news channels wherein he was purportedly shown engaging in sexual acts with a Tamil actress. He had defended himself at the time saying he was merely ‘practising the shavasana’ and that he was impotent. (Source: File Photo)

A case was filed against him in Bangalore. He was finally arrested from Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district on April 21, 2010. Nithyananda was, however, let off on bail. Two years later, though, he landed again in soup when a US-based woman claimed that Nithyananda had abused her for five years. (Source: Express Archive)

A statue of Nithyananda. On Monday, an FIR was lodged against Nithyananda and two of his followers at an Ahmedabad-based ashram for allegedly abducting, confining and torturing two minors and a 19-year-old woman. Following this, the Gujarat High Court had issued notices to Nithyananda and the state government on a habeas corpus petition filed by the father of the women. (Source: nithyananda.org)