The followers of a Saivaite mutt — the Thondai Mandala Aadheenam Gnanaprakasa mutt in Kancheepuram — have filed a complaint with the police, alleging that their guru has been kidnapped by the disciples of Swami Nithyananda of Bidadi, and have requested them to trace his whereabouts.
However, upon conducting inquiries, the police said that the head of the mutt, Gnanaprakasa Desigar, is currently camping in Bengaluru, and would return to Kancheepuram shortly.
Trouble had been brewing between the two groups ever since the disciples of Swami Nithyananda were allowed to stay at the Thondai Mandala Aadheenam Gnanaprakasa mutt a few months ago.
The issue soon came to a head, with the followers of Thondai Mandala Aadheenam requesting their spiritual leader to convene a meeting of the mutt’s disciples on July 30.
When the disciples gathered for the meeting, they found that the place was locked.
As their attempts to get in touch with their leader over phone turned futile, they lodged a formal complaint with the Siva Kanchi police.