Nithyananda Apologises for Lying and Misleading the Indian High Court

Self named Sri Nithyananda Swami (aka A Rajashekaran) has had his devotees lie for him since 2012 about his status as 293rd Pontiff of Madurai Mutt/Adheenam, a 2,500-year-old renowned Saivite math in Tamil Nadu.
Today (6th February) this self-styled godman Swami Nithyananda apologised and expressed regret in the Madras high court for claiming himself as the 293rd pontif of Madurai Adheenam.

Why? Quite simply he has had them use this argument:

"Nithyananda cannot be guilty of the criminal charges against him such as rape, unnatural sex, fraud, harassment and more because the largest Mutt, the Madurai Mutt has appointed him 293rd Pontiff and they would not allow him to be Pontiff if the allegations were true."

The fact, as has been recently proven by the High Court of Chennai with Honourable Justice R Mahadevan presiding, is that Nithyananda has been misleading (a polite way of saying lying), misleading his devotees, misleading participants and now caught misleading the High Court of Chennai, India.

Thus the argument the Nithyananda Propaganda Team have been putting out has been turned on its head and should perhaps now read:

"Nithyananda could well be guilty of the criminal charges against him such as rape, unnatural sex, fraud, harassment and more because the largest Mutt, the Madurai Mutt has removed him as junior Pontiff so he can never become the 293rd Pontiff."

And sadly most of his devotees are just too indoctrinated to realise that he now has them repeating such lies.

One India phrased the High Court Judge's reaction this way:

The judge found that Nithyananda had filed a counterfeit document to the court and tried to cheat him.

The history behind this is as follows:

• On 21st April 2012 Nithyananda was appointed to be next in line to head the Madurai Mutt, ie the junior pontiff. This was done by the 292nd Pontiff, the senior pontiff, and would mean that should the 292nd Pontiff pass away, then Nithyananda would head the order. In Western terminology one might be more familiar with President and Vice President. Of course Vice President is prestigious, but is not the President, and can be removed by the President.
  (There is rumour that there could have been bribery involved in this, but at this stage, it can only be considered a rumour as firm evidence has not been revealed. - Of course lack of public firm evidence also does not mean a rumour of bribery is not true.)
• Just months later in October the 292nd Pontiff removed Nithyananda from the junior position. At the time there was speculation that this was done because of renewed allegations of impropriety against Nithyananda.

The senior pontiff, Arunagirinatha Gurugnanasambanda Desika Paramacharya had full authority to do this.
Ultimately the number of Pontiff (eg 292rd) only applies to one that is the head of the Adheenam and only applies to the senior Pontiff. A junior Pontiff does not actually become the senior Pontiff until the senior Pontiff passes away. In Nithyananda's case, unfortunately for him, he was removed while still the junior, only months after he was put into the junior position. So he can never be the senior Pontiff. When the 292nd Pontiff passes, there will be a senior 293rd Pontiff, and it won't be Nithyananda.

The Hindu reports on his removal at
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/nithyananda-removed-from-madurai-adheenam/article4013877.ece and says:

In a dramatic development, the head of the Madurai Adheenam removed Nithyananda from the position of junior pontiff of the centuries-old Hindu religious institution on Friday night. The controversial godman was appointed as the 293 pontiff of the 1500-year-old mutt in April this year.

In a hurriedly convened press conference on the mutt premises, the senior pontiff, Arunagirinatha Gurugnanasambanda Desika Paramacharya said, 

“I appointed Swami Nithyananda as my successor. Today, I have removed him from the position. By doing so, I have restored the glory of the ancient mutt.” 

Asked for the reason for the sudden decision, he said, 

“He has been removed. It needs no more explanation. You all know better.”

This is where the matter should have ended. However, Nithyananda does not like to take no for an answer, even when he is completely in the wrong. Especially as he was using this as a basis to convince people he was innocent of serious criminal charges including rape and unnatural sex. So Nithyananda obstinately continued the saga.

• Nithyananda continued to try to take over the Madurai Mutt.
• There were even allegations of interference and also it was reported that Nithyananda had been accused of putting drugs into the Ashram water.
  (see https://www.ndtv.com/south/nithyananda-in-police-case-for-allegedly-mixing-holy-water-with-drugs-489508). However, although the charges were made the matter was never investigated by police. (Note: it is well known that corruption exists within Indian police forces and a payoff from someone who alleges he was worth US$170 Million in 2016 would not be out of the realms of possibility of course)
• The courts gave an interim order banning Nithyananda from entering the Ashram.
• Nithyananda made a legal claim that he could not be banned as he was the 293rd Pontiff and it could not be cancelled. (This despite him already having been officially removed from that runner up junior position in October 2012, and that Nithyananda could never have actually commenced the position of 293rd Pontiff while the 292nd was still alive).
• A plea was made by one Jagadhalaprathapan, who sought to restrict Nithyananda from entering the Adheenam.

It was this case that Nithyananda had brought to the High Court. The High Court warned Nithyananda while hearing a plea filed in 2017 and declared to Nithyananda, "How can you be the 293rd Pontiff when the 292nd Pontiff is still alive?".
And ordered Nithyananda to remove misleading statements in affidavits he had submitted to court to support his claim.
The court over time has given the warning multiple times to Nithyananda then last week on 29th January 2018 the case was again heard and arrogant Nithyananda still had not withdrawn those misleading statements and incurred the anger of the Presiding Judge.
The News Minute reports on this at https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/madras-hc-warns-nithyananda-tell-truth-your-counter-affidavit-or-face-arrest-75559

In response to this plea, Nithyananda had claimed to be the 293rd pontiff of the Madurai Adheenam mutt.
However, the court had slammed his reply, and the judge had said, "It does not look proper. Why action should not be taken against Nithyananda for giving false information to the court?"
The court had also given an interim order, banning the entry of Nithyananda into the Madurai Mutt.

29th January - Monday’s hearing
When the case came up for hearing on Monday again, the judge noted that the submission had not been changed despite his warning last year.
Following this, he warned Nithyananda to file a fresh petition with the truth in two days or face arrest for attempting to misdirect the court.
He further warned him that he will shut down all his ashrams.

Also Eenadu India stated today in relation to the 29th hearing at http://www.eenaduindia.com/states/south/tamil-nadu/chennai-city/2018/02/06121609/Nithyananda-apologises-in-HC-for-claiming-heirship.vpf

"He is not above all, only law prevails over anything in this court," justice R Mahadevan said, directing the jurisdictional police to arrest him. "Get the warrant from the court registry," he told the cops.
The judge got even more infuriated wen he saw one of the disciples of Nithyananda using mobile phone and passing messages about the proceedings from the court.

Ordering to seize the phone, the judge said, "Who permitted you to record court proceedings? To whom were you sending message about the proceeding? Don't think that this court is a playground. I will see that your ashram is vanished. Hundreds of complaints are pending against the ashram."

Nithyananda Backs Down - Apologises to High Court for trying to Mislead it as he has mislead his Devotees

It took him a year, but finally Nithyananda has backed down fearing the imminent threat of arrest.

Today Nithyananda withdrew his petition claiming to be heir of the Madurai Adheenam.

From: http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2018/feb/06/godman-nithyananda-apologises-for-misleading-statements-in-madras-high-court-1769307.html

Godman Nithyananda apologises for 'misleading' statements in Madras High Court

By PTI  |   Published: 06th February 2018 07:14 PM  | 
Last Updated: 06th February 2018 07:14 PM  |

CHENNAI: Self-styled godman Nithyananda today expressed regret before the Madras High Court for claiming that he was the head of Madurai Adheenam, a centuries old renowned Saivite Mutt in Tamil Nadu.

Nithyananda filed an affidavit to this effect when a petition filed by M Jagathalapradhapan came up for hearing before Justice R Mahadevan.

Taking the affidavit on record, the judge posted the hearing on February 26.

Justice Mahadevan asked Nithyananda's counsel to spell out whether his client could give an undertaking that he would not enter the Madurai Adheenam Mutt till disposal of a civil suit pending before the competent civil court.

In that case, the present petition would be closed or else appropriate orders would be passed on merit, he said.

The court had on January 29 warned of issuing arrest warrant against Nithyananda if he failed to rectify the "misleading statements" made in his earlier affidavits that he was the 293rd head of the Mutt.

In his affidavit today, Nithyananda said he was withdrawing the statement made earlier in the testimony and elsewhere that he was the Mutt head despite the 292nd pontiff holding the post of 'Madadipathi' of the Mutt.

"I sincerely regret and apologise for the statement", added.

The present affidavit was filed to satisfy the queries raised by the court and he sincerely hoped it satisfied the concerns raised during the hearings, he said.

The petitioner sought a direction to the authorities to take suitable and appropriate action against Nithyananda and protect the Madurai mutt.

Nithyananda was briefly appointed to head the ancient Saivite Mutt in October 2012. However the senior pontiff annulled the appointment later following protests by devotees.

In December 2017, the court passed interim orders restraining Nithyananda and his disciples from entering the Madurai Aadheenam until further orders.