Nithyananda Followers Arrested in Bolivia Over 'Land Trafficking': Report

The Wire Staff

Apr 04, 2025

New Delhi: Followers of self-styled godman Nithyananda, a fugitive facing sexual abuse charges and kidnapping in India, who had built a fantasy ‘country’ for himself called the ‘United States of Kailasa’, have been arrested in an alleged land-grabbing case in Bolivia.

As per a New York Times report, Bolivian officials said that as many as 20 people, linked to Kailasa, were arrested on the charges of “land trafficking” after they signed illegal deals with indigenous groups in Amazon to lease large parts for 1,000 years.

The agreements were declared void.

According to the report, members of ‘Kailasa’ have also been deported to their home countries – India, the United States, Sweden and China.

The ‘Kailasa’ followers had arrived on tourist visas, the report added citing officials. They had also managed a photo with Bolivia’s president, Luis Arce, but there was no evidence that Nithyananda joined them there.

Representatives from ‘Kailasa’ had once reached the United Nations in Geneva asking what the UN body could do ”at national and international levels” for the protection from persecution of the “supreme pontiff of Hinduism”.

Nithayananda, accused of rape, kidnapping, torture and wrongful confinement of children in his ashram in Ahmedabad, fled India in 2019. He resurfaced a year later, claiming to have founded his nation – on an island purchased off the coast of Ecuador.

Born Arunachalam Rajasekaran, reportedly in southern India, he started his first ashram in his 20s near Bengaluru but soon went on to build an empire across India, as well as among Hindu communities elsewhere.

‘Kailasa’, the fictional country off Ecuador’s coast, is named after a sacred Hindu site and claims to be a movement founded by members of the Hindu Adi Shaivite minority community from Canada, United States and other countries.

Recently, rumours of Nithyananda’s death had surfaced after his nephew, Sundereshwar, allegedly claimed that Nithyananda had passed away. However, this was dismissed by his representatives who asserted that Nithyananda is “alive, safe, and active.” 

“KAILASA unequivocally condemns this malicious smear campaign to vilify and defame the SPH,” a statement read.

https://m.thewire.in/article/religion/nithyananda-followers-arrested-in-bolivia-over-land-trafficking-report

Arrested for rape, five followers of Moon sect

A college of Sucre denounced them & sexual abuse and trafficking

Kattya Valdes
Reason (Print edition)
April 5, 2016

(Google Translation)

Five members of the Moonies, accused of raping a college in 2014 in an initiation rite held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, were arrested as a preventive measure in criminal Palmasola. The defense of the victim reports that congregation continues to operate.

It took two years for the Japanese Seichiro S., leader of this organization, was sent to prison along with Alvaro RN, Giancarla C., A. and Neyda Mery Angela T. A Crisosto CM, Diego Armando E. and David are PA he gave alternative to preventive detention.

Offenses. "The charge was for two offenses: trafficking in persons and rape, but the judge 3rd Instruction in Criminal Matters of Sucre, Ximena Mendizabal, ordered the preventive detention only five people who had participated in the rape," reported yesterday Sergio Vildoso this newspaper, the young lawyer.

ARB went to the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, known as Moonies, in January 2014, according to the complaint was abused by the leader and other members in an initiation rite performed in the capital Santa Cruz.

Vildoso said that this organization continues to function. "There are young people living in their facilities and do not know under what conditions".


http://www.la-razon.com/ciudades/Policia-detenidos-violacion-adeptos-secta_Moon_0_2466953315.html

He was charged along with four others FOR VIOLATION OF A UNIVERSITYThe Moon sect leader will be detained in criminal Palmasola

FEBRUARY 14, 2016
HENRY A. GUTIÉRREZ AIRA

Violation. The interim hearing was held in an office of the prosecutor in Santa Cruz.

VIOLATION

The complaint tells the victim that the violation was during an initiation ritual where she was chosen.

The leader of the so-called Moonies in Bolivia was taken into custody along with three other members of this religious organization in the criminal Palmasola in Santa Cruz, following evidence of likelihood of authorship have been demonstrated in a preliminary hearing on charges of aggravated rape a college de Sucre. Two years after the fact of violation of university, on Friday took place in Santa Cruz the hearing for interim relief eight alleged members of the religious organization Holy Spirit for the Unification of World Christianity, following the teachings of the late South Korean Sun-Myung Moon, leader in Bolivia and Seiichiro Sagawa. the accusation that the prosecution was conducted for the crimes of trafficking in its aspects of an alleged labor exploitation and recruitment of people for the purpose of religious sects against four persons ;and rape by several people with aggravated psychological harm to five other people, including the leader of the religious organization. FACT In 2012, ARB, at the door of study architecture, was approached by T. Neyda , who invited him to a meeting of the organization in which they spoke of "how one can be happy." in subsequent meetings also reviewed the second coming of the Messiah (Moon) and that people should serve. . With this argument gave him keychains, razors, pens and desk ornaments to sell and raise money the victim revealed that the organization was known as Youth Federation; in late 2013, in December, she was taken to the Congress of Divine Principle in the city of Santa Cruz. On the third day of the congress, early January 2014, in Santa Cruz, the victim fell ill and guides spirit led him to his room where the leader of the organization in Bolivia was presented;your spirit guides told him; "you can, go." There, the leader of the religious organization, handling and then molesting university that day the victim was also raped by several people, according to the psychological report Neyda said "come on, you you are only 21 ". RESOLUTION judge Ximena Mendizabal, after hearing the arguments of the parties determined to reject the imputation of the crime of trafficking as it does not recruit people for labor exploitation proven. The four defendants obtained alternative to preventive detention as rooting action, once submitted a week before the prosecutor and not approach the victim and the co-defendants. As for the crime of aggravated rape, four of the defendants were placed in preventive detention in criminal Palmasola and a woman who has a baby of six months old he got house arrest.the victim's lawyer, Sergio Vildozo, explained that the decision of the judge to send a prison of Santa Cruz was because the defendants reside in the city, and the leader of the religious organization, Seiichiro Sagawa can not be in places with high, for this reason the process is carried out in the city and not in Sucre. the lawyer said he would appeal the decision of the judge in the case of trafficking and re-order the preventive detention for the four accused. the evidence presented at the hearing were the psychological interview and forensic medical examination of the victim.

Translation by Google
http://correodelsur.com/seguridad/20160214_el-lider-de-secta-moon-estara-detenido-en-penal-palmasola.html