Nithyananda directed to appear in Kovai court on Sept 3

A court here today summoned controversial self-styled godman Nithyananda to appear before it on September 3 in connection with a defamation case filed by a leader of a Hindu outfit.

Judicial Magistrate Renukadevi issued the orders when the case filed by Hindu Makkal Katchi President Arjun Sampath came up for hearing.

Sampath has submitted Nithyananda, who has an ashram on the outskirts of Bangalore, had made some remarks during a press conference in Chennai in 2011 about his marriage which he said were defamatory.