The police of two states in India are looking for self-styled godman Nithyananda but the man, accused in a rape case in 2010 as well as a child-kidnapping case in 2019, continues to give sermons on his YouTube channel.
There are sermons posted almost every day on his social media channels — Nithyananda sits coolly in front of an artificial background, talking about Hinduism, how he has been giving ‘satsangs’ for 20 years despite the many charges against him, and how there are “external forces” who are now “harassing” him.
On November 28, Nithyananda went live at around 1.30 pm on YouTube and claimed in the video, “Some people against me, they are looking for me, but I am in the Himalayas, in Kailasa.” He also asked people “not to react and be only non-violent.” This video, which is around 90 minutes long, resembles the other videos on his YouTube channel — he is sitting in front of a green screen converted into a background either resembling outer space or Mansarovar.
In another video, he claims, “I am Parama Shiva. Understand, no stupid court can prosecute me for revealing the truth.”
In another video, he says, “We survived all law affairs and law attacks, every time.”
In most of the recent videos posted over the past one week, he asks his “devotees” if they know of any place in the world — around a few acres — where Nithyananda will not be “harassed like this.”
None of the videos have any indication of his location. Gujarat police, who are investigating the child kidnapping case against him, believe that he may have left the country and could be somewhere in South America.
Nithyananda has been booked for child abuse and kidnapping by the Gujarat police after three minors (a boy and two girls) were rescued from his ashram in the outskirts of Ahmedabad. This is the second case filed against him, in addition to the rape case that was filed against him in 2010.