Madurai, Oct 11 (PTI) The Madras High Court today bannedcontroversial self-styled godman Nithyananda from enteringthe 2500-year-old Saivite Madurai Adheenam mutt here.
In an interim order on a petition opposing his pleaseeking police protection to enter the mutt, Justice RMahadevan of the Madurai bench also restrained Nithyananda andhis disciples from interfering with its administration.
He ordered issue of notice to the Tamil Nadu ChiefSecretary, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR andCE) Commissioner and the Madurai district collector andadjourned the matter by four weeks.
Nithyananda, who was caught in a sex tape scandal in 2010and facing charges of rape, was appointed as the 293rd pontiffof the 'Madurai Adheenam' in 2012 by the present 292nd head.
But the senior seer himself had revoked the appointment withinmonths.
Nithyananda, who has an ashram in Karnataka, had lastmonth moved the high court seeking police protection fordischarging daily religious and spiritual activities at themutt contending that once appointed a junior pontiff cannot beremoved.
Meanwhile, a petition was filed charging Nithyananda withattempting to enter the mutt through the backdoor and opposinghis prayer for protection.
Petitioner Jagadalapradhaban further said Nithyananda hadnot disclosed previous court orders against him and had fileda new petition seeking police protection for him to enter themutt.
This, the petitioner alleged, was being done byNithyananda with the ulterior motive of seizing the primeproperties of the mutt.
Besides, there would be a law and order problem ifNithyananda was permitted to enter the mutt, the petitionersubmitted.
The self-styled godman was attempting to capture Saivitemutts at several places across the country including inKarnataka, the petitioner alleged.
Nithyananda in his petition had said he should be allowedto perform certain rituals as per the mutt tradition andalleged that some "illegal elements" were threatening him andhis disciples with dire consequences whenever they visited it.
PTI SSN SS VSZMN.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.