This Article is From Dec 06, 2019

Did Not Grant Asylum To Nithyananda, He Left Possibly For Haiti: Ecuador

The statement comes days after Nithyananda announced the creation of Kailaasa, a "Hindu homeland", on an island purchased from Ecuador.

Did Not Grant Asylum To Nithyananda, He Left Possibly For Haiti: Ecuador

The Indian government meanwhile said it does not know of the whereabouts of Nithyananda.

New Delhi:

The Ecuadorian government has denied that it has granted asylum to self-styled godman Nithyananda, wanted in India for rape and abduction, or helped him purchase any land in the South American country.

In a statement, the Embassy of Ecuador said the country had denied Nithyananda's request for asylum, and he left the country for Haiti.

The statement read: "The Embassy of Ecuador categorically denies the statement, wherever published, that self styled Guru Nithyananda was given asylum by Ecuador or has been helped by the government of Ecuador in purchasing any land or island in South America near or far from Ecuador."

"Moreover, Ecuador denied the request for international personal protection (refuge) made by Mr. Nithyananda before Ecuador and later on, Mr. Nithyananda left Ecuador presumably on his way to Haiti."

It said that all the information "published in digital and print media in India is based on the information which allegedly has been sourced from https://kailaasa.org, a website which is supposedly maintained by Mr. Nithyananda or by his people".

The statement comes days after Nithyananda announced the creation of Kailaasa, a "Hindu homeland", on an island purchased from Ecuador.

The government meanwhile said it does not know of the whereabouts of Nithyananda, who allegedly fled India last month without a passport in the midst of several pending investigations against him.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that it has cancelled his passport and denied his request for a new one. All Indian missions and posts abroad have been asked to communicate to local governments about Nithyananda, spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Though not convicted, Nithyananda first made national headlines in 2010 after he was arrested and jailed for 53 days over a sex scandal involving him and an actress.

Subsequently, some other women also accused him of abusing them at his religious retreat in Karnataka.

Last month, a case was registered against him in Gujarat on charges of wrongful confinement of children.

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