The Madras High Court has restrained controversial godman Nityananda from heading four mutts after three Salem-based religious trusts approached the court alleging that he was trying to grab the properties of the mutts through a ‘dubious’ suit. 

The Times of India reports that Justice P.R. Shivakumar passed an interim stay against all further proceedings in the suit moved by Nithyananda pending before the Principal Sub Judge, Nagapattinam. According to the petitioners, the ‘godman’ has moved the suit seeking to declare him as the head of four mutts - Sri Somanatha Swami Temple and Mutt in Thiruvarur, Sri Po.Ka. Sathukkal Mutt in Vedaranyam, Sri Arunachal Gnanadesikar Swamigal Mutt in Panchanadhikulam, and Sri Palasamy and Sankarasamy Mutt in Thiruvarur. The petitioners alleged that Nithyananda made the claim by wrongly projecting a donation to the tune of Rs. two crore that he gave for the mutts as financial assistance and projecting him as an administrator of the trusts. Granting the interim relief, the Judge ordered notice to Nithyananda to be responded to by March 14.

Originally, Nithyananda had filed a suit before the Nagapattinam sub-court seeking a declaration from it that he was the head of these mutts and godman Athmananda and others were non-trustees. He had also sought a relief of injunction restraining Athmananda from interfering in the administration and meddling with the properties of the mutts.