Police Seek Interpol Notice Against Rape-Accused Nithyananda, Who's Hiding In Some Country

The Gujarat Police has decided to approach Interpol to get a blue corner notice issued against self-styled godman Nithyananda who is wanted in a case of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children. Nithyananda had been untraceable for weeks after an FIR was registered against him following the disappearance of two girls from his ashram in Ahmedabad.

Nithyananda was accused of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children to make them collect donations from followers to run his ashram. On Thursday, the Ahmedabad Rural Police sent a letter to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on getting the Interpol help to find him.

"CID is the nodal agency for getting Interpol to issue Blue Corner notice. We have sent a letter to the CID for the issuance of notice to locate Nithyananda who is still untraceable," said an official.

A Blue Corner notice makes it mandatory for member countries to share whereabouts of a person involved in a crime.

However, it is still unclear how the notice will be executed as the godman is said to be hiding in an island which he has reportedly purchased from Ecuador. Earlier this week he had surfaced with the claim of establishing a Hindu nation called Kailaasa, with its own government, passport, Reserve Bank and currency.

Meanwhile, Ecuador has rejected reports that the country has asylum to the fugitive godman. ¡°Ecuador denied the request for international personal protection (refuge) made by Mr. Nithyananda before Ecuador and later on Mr. Nithyananda left Ecuador, presumably on his way to Haiti,¡± said the statement from the Ecuadorian embassy said in a statement. It also clarified that Nithyananda did not receive any help ¡°in purchasing any land or island in South America near or far from Ecuador.¡±

There are also reports that the French authorities have launched the godman after one of his devotees - a French national - complained that Nityananda had cheated him out of $400,000.

Nityananda who has a controversial past has had his fair share of run-ins with the law including rape cases and a sex scandal involving Tamil actress Ranjitha.

The godman, however, has created a cult following around him a has even claimed that he is an avatar of Lord Siva. He is also known for making outlandish claims like E=, not MC(2) and once delaying the sunrise by 40 minutes. The 41-year-old godman had also claimed that he has developed a technique by which animals will be able to speak like humans.