A self-styled Indian godman facing rape and sexual abuse charges made headlines on Wednesday after he emerged from hiding and announced the birth of a new cosmic country with its own cabinet and golden passports.
Swami Nithyananda, a controversial guru with thousands of followers in India's southern Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states, posted a video on his YouTube channel announcing the special project to his followers.
The 41-year-old said that his new cosmic country is the biggest Hindu nation without boundaries called Kailaasa. "The Hindu nation exists in cosmos," he said in a video that has gone viral.
Indian media reports cited a website allegedly created by the guru with details about his plans for Kailaasa, even as the police and other authorities investigating him for various criminal charges continue to remain clueless about his whereabouts.
The website shares details of different government departments and agencies in his make-believe country. It also gives Kailaasa its own triangular flag and an emblem with Indian Tamil, Sanskrit and English as its main languages.