The Government has cancelled the passport of controversial self-styled godman Nithyananda and rejected his application for fresh one, the External Affairs Ministry said on Friday.

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar also said the Ministry has sensitised all its missions and posts abroad about Nithyananda.

Nithyananda is wanted for several crimes, including rapes, in India and is believed to have fled the country. Reports indicate he has purchased an island near Ecuador in South America to form a “Hindu Nation” by the name of “Kailaasa”.

The Ministry Spokesman said, “We have sensitised all our missions and posts and told them to inform local Governments about him.” Nithyananda is wanted in India for multiple cases, including alleged rape and abduction.

Kumar said Nithyananda’s passport was cancelled before its validity was to expire in 2018 and that his application for a new one was also rejected because of cases pending against him.

Asked about reports that Nithyananda declaring founding his own country called “Kailassa” in his website, Kumar said, “Setting up a website is different from setting up a nation.”

The embassy of Ecuador, in a statement, categorically denied that the Nithyananda was given asylum by it or has been helped by its Government in purchasing any land or island in SAmerica near or far from Ecuador.

There were reports that the self-styled godman purchased an island in South America with the help from Ecuador.

The statement said Ecuador denied the request for grant of refuge by Nithyananda and later on, he left Ecuador presumably on his way to Haiti.

“All the information, whatever, which is published in digital and print media in India, is based on the information which allegedly has been sourced from https://kailaasa.Org, a website which is supposedly maintained by Nithyananda or by his people,” it said.

“Henceforth all digital or print media houses should refrain from citing Ecuador in any form in all pieces of information related to Nithyananda,” the statement added.