CBI Directed By Madras HC To Record Statement Of Ascetic Living In Himalayas

Concerned about the safety of Sadhguru Sri Niranjanananda Giri Swamigal, due to conflicting statements regarding his location, the Madras High Court on Friday requested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to assign an officer to meet with him and record his statement.

This comes after the ascetic appeared before the court via video call, claiming to be engaged in "deep tapas" (meditation) in the Himalayas, reported The Hindu.

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Justice M. Dhandapani expressed surprise as to why a counsel representing the ascetic had, during the forenoon session of a case hearing, stated that his client was present in Thennangur village in Vandavasi Taluk of Tiruvannamalai district.

However, in the afternoon session, the pontiff, appearing via video call, claimed to be speaking from near Badrinath in Uttarakhand.

Earlier, senior counsel S. Parthasarathy, representing G.A. Trust, which manages the Panduranga Rukmayee Temple in Thennangur, informed the court that the ascetic had been missing since October 2018, after which other trustees had taken over day-to-day management. The court was told that the ascetic had abandoned both the trust and the temples it oversees.

Conversely, the pontiff explained that he was undergoing deep Tapas in the Himalayas, following his Guru's advice, and had appointed a group of individuals to manage the trust and temples.

He assured that the institutions were functioning smoothly under his guidance, with his input being provided periodically for their effective management.

"What stopped your counsel from informing the court in the morning that you are in the Himalayas? This court is concerned about your safety and wishes to ensure you are not under anyone's influence. This cannot be done through a video call. An officer from the CBI will meet you in person, wherever you are, record your statement, and submit it to the court by November 8," the judge stated.

In response to the pontiff's request not to disrupt his Tapas, and his explanation that he had no fixed residence in the Himalayas, the judge assured him that the CBI officer would only take half an hour to record the statement without disturbing his meditation.

The court directed CBI Special Public Prosecutor K. Srinivasan to arrange for an officer to carry out the task.

The orders were issued in connection with a batch of three writ petitions filed in 2020. Two petitions had been filed by the trust, represented by its managing trustee S. Raamassubramanian, levelling various accusations against the ascetic.

The third petition was filed by Rayan Narayan, the Srikaryam (private secretary) to the ascetic, who accused the trustees of misappropriating trust funds.

In his writ petition, Narayan asserted that the ascetic was the pontiff of Sri Gnanananda Giri Peetam, and his right to manage the trust, the temples, and other associated institutions had been upheld by the Joint Commissioner of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department in Villupuram on 9th January 2020.

On the contrary, the trustees, who contested the Joint Commissioner's decision, argued that there was no Peedathipathi (pontiff) for Sri Gnanananda Giri Peetam.

They explained that the trust was founded in 1982 by Swami Haridhos Giri, a disciple of Swami Gnanananda Giri of Tapovanam near Tirukovilur. Swami Haridhos Giri had attained Jala Samadhi in the Himalayas in 1994.

In 2011, one B. Arun Kumar expressed a desire to take Sanyasa Deeksha, adopting the name Sri Niranjanananda Giri Swamigal, and was appointed as a trustee in 2013.

However, in May 2018, he left Thennangur, stating that he was travelling to the Himalayas, though the trustees later received reports suggesting he had gone to the United Kingdom, allegedly diverting trust funds to create scholarships at a foreign institution.

Upon his return to Thennangur in August 2018, the trustees confronted him about the visit, after which the ascetic disappeared in October 2018, leaving no clues regarding his whereabouts, according to the managing trustee.