Nithyananda apologises for 'misleading' statements in High Court

Nithyananda filed an affidavit to this effect when a petition filed by M Jagathalapradhapan came up for hearing before Justice R Mahadevan.

Taking the affidavit on record, the judge posted the hearing on February 26.

Justice Mahadevan asked Nithyananda's counsel to spell out whether his client could give an undertaking that he would not enter the Madurai Adheenam Mutt till disposal of a civil suit pending before the competent civil court.

In that case, the present petition would be closed or else appropriate orders would be passed on merit, he said.

The court had on January 29 warned of issuing arrest warrant against Nithyananda if he failed to rectify the "misleading statements" made in his earlier affidavits that he was the 293rd head of the Mutt.

In his affidavit today,Nithyananda said he was withdrawing the statement made earlier in the testimony and elsewhere that he was the Mutt head despite the 292nd pontiff holding the post of 'Madadipathi' of the Mutt.

"I sincerely regret and apologise for the statement", added.

The present affidavit was filed to satisfy the queries raised by the court and he sincerely hoped it satisfied the concerns raised during the hearings, he said.

The petitioner sought a direction to the authorities to take suitable and appropriate action against Nithyananda and protect the Madurai mutt.

Nithyananda was briefly appointed to head the ancient Saivite Mutt in October 2012. However the senior pontiff annulled the appointment later following protests by devotees.

In December 2017, the court passed interim orders restraining Nithyananda and his disciples from entering the Madurai Aadheenam until further orders.