Tamil Nadu Police Raid Nithyananda's Ashram For 'Illegal Confinement' Of Woman After Parents' Plaint

The couple and their elder daughter were also previously with the ashram but they left it due to differences with the management in 2019. 

Self-styled godman Nithyananda

Chennai: The Tiruvannamalai police conducted an inspection in the ashram of self-styled godman Nithyananda in the district after a couple gave a complaint alleging illegal confinement of their daughter in the ashram. The couple and their elder daughter were also previously with the ashram but they left it due to differences with the management in 2019. 

According to a report on Times of India, the couple and their elder daughter who arrived at the ashram were present during the inspection held by the police. However, the police team did not find the woman despite a thorough search. 

The police said, Nagesh from Bengaluru, a retired engineer and his wife Mala, a retired professor along with their two adult daughters joined Nithyananda ashram in Bengaluru in 2017. They took up the ashram life and devoted themselves to it.

However, the couple decided to leave the ashram due to indifferences between the management in 2019. Yet, their younger daughter remained in the ashram. 

They used to periodically visit her but recently the couple learned that their daughter was shifted to Tiruvannamalai. Hence, they approached the police who undertook an inspection on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the inspection at Nithyananda's ashram comes at a time when there are speculations over the ill-health of the godman. Earlier, Nithyananda said that he was set to attain jeeva samadhi ( a state of meditative consciousness) but early June he also said that he will soon come for darshans and initiations.