Chennai:
Controversial Godman Swami Nithyananda has more trouble at hand. The police are conducting raids at 1500-year-old Saivaite Mutt, Madurai Adheenam - Nithyananda was announced the Junior Pontiff of this mutt - to check whether there are any tiger skins and elephant tusks in its premises.
A few days ago, the Madurai Police had booked Nithyananda under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 following a complaint that he was seen seated on tiger skins spread over elephant tusks.
The police took this action on the basis of a complaint given by Solai Kannan, a member of the Hindu Makkal Katchi. The petitioner, police say, alleges seeing Swami Nithyananda seated on tiger skins spread over elephant tusks, at the Madurai mutt. Police have slapped same cases against former actress Ranjitha and a woman PRO as well who were reportedly present in the mutt at that time.
The petitioner has also alleged that he was served a drink that made him uncomfortable; that he was asked to dance to an English tune by Swami Nithyananda and his team at the mutt. But police say at this time they have no enough material to make out a case on this. When NDTV tried to reach Swami Nithyananda's secretaries for their response, they did not answer our calls.
A section of devotees of the old Madurai Adheenam are also up in arms over the appointment of Swami Nithyananda as the mutt's junior Pontiff. In the past, a young junior Pontiff was sacked by the present Head. This time too they expect the senior Pontiff to act tough.
However, the controversial Godman who's facing allegations of sexual abuse got a reprieve from a Karnataka court in the Ashram Attack Case.