The Madras High Court on Friday rejected an appeal by self-proclaimed godman Nithyananda, who sought directions to recognize him as the head of four mutts in Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur districts, Tamil Nadu.

A bench comprising Justices R Subramanian and C Kumarappan ruled that the Court could not intervene in the appointments made by the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department. 

The High Court also upheld the decision of a single judge passed in September 2024, which Nithyananda had contested. In the earlier ruling, Justice M Dhandapani had refused to challenge the HR&CE Department’s decision to appoint a new head for the mutts, replacing Nithyananda in light of the rape case and other allegations against him.

Justice Dhandapani had questioned the validity of Nithyananda’s claim to the position through a representative, especially considering his "unknown whereabouts." 

Despite this, Nithyananda, through his lawyer Godson Swaminathan, approached the High Court, arguing that the single-judge had made an error in denying him relief. In his appeal, Nithyananda claimed that it was “common knowledge” that he resided in Kailasa, a self-declared “nation” recognized by the United Nations, with diplomatic relations with over 50 countries.

Nithyananda also requested an interim stay on the single-judge’s order. However, the Division Bench found no merit in his arguments and dismissed the petition.

The Court clarified that the trial courts dealing with the various cases against Nithyananda should not be influenced by any observations made by either the single-judge or the Division Bench.