Nithyananda files case against appointment of junior pontiff of Madurai Adheenam

Madurai: Three months after the appointment of a junior pontiff for the 1,500-year-old Madurai Adheenam (Mutt), founder of Dhyana Peetam Swami Nithyananda has filed a suit against the appointment before the Madurai sub court.
On that, principal sub-judge P Sureshkumar ordered notices to the Madurai Aadheenam and the junior pontiff to reply and adjourned the case to September 9.
The mutt's 292nd pontiff Srila Sri Arunagirinatha Gurugnanasambanda Desika Paramacharya Swamigal on April 21 had appointed V Thirunavukarasu of Pillaiarpatti in Sivaganga district, as his successor.
When the matter came up for hearing on Saturday, the petitioner's counsel told that as far as Madurai Mutt is concerned, a junior pontiff could be appointed once during the tenure of the mutt head. Accordingly, the mutt head had appointed the petitioner Nithyananda, as junior pontiff on April 27, 2012.
Following it, a case was filed at the Madurai bench of the Madras high court against Nithyananda's appointment, in which the mutt head filed a counter saying that he is fully aware of Agama rules and Saivaism and accordingly, the appointment was made.
However, after some months, Arunagirinatha filed a case before the high court bench seeking to declare that the appointment was not valid and the concerned case is pending before the court.
While the case is pending, the pontiff has appointed a new junior pontiff this year. Thus, his action was against the mutt provisions and the appointment of the new junior pontiff should be cancelled. As an interim measure, it should be stayed, the petitioner's counsel prayed.
Following it, the sub-judge ordered notice to both the mutt head and junior pointiff.
It may be recalled that the appointment of Nithyananda as junior pontiff evoked wide criticism and stiff opposition from various organisations across the state as an intimate video, allegedly that of the self-proclaimed godman was released by a private Tamil news channel in 2010. Adhering to demands, the Madurai pontiff removed Nithyananda from the post of junior pontiff in the next six months.