Mervyn Hughes (USA citizen perhaps) plans police and legal action against me for my writings critical of Muddenahalli group

Last updated on 23rd April 2020

23rd April 2020 Update: I had an inner urge to name-snip the names of some person(s) in this post and so have done so.

Given below are contents of my recent Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1778003412416228.

I was informed about a post by Mervyn Hughes here: https://www.facebook.com/mervyn.hughes.370/posts/1277371458940068, where he is attacking me (verbally). I will overlook his ignorance about industry experts teaching in Indian academia using Visiting Faculty designations which is perfectly in accordance with the main Indian academic administrative authority - University Grants Commission. [I wonder whether he knows that Bill Gates, (late) Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg who is a co-founder of Facebook which we are using for these conversations, are/were not Ph.D. and in fact, did not complete their graduation. So does that mean they cannot teach in USA universities??? I think they would be welcomed as Adjunct Faculty/Visiting Faculty/Guest Faculty, or may even be made Professors due to their massive contribution to the software industry].

Mervyn Hughes has picked out a few posts of mine which are critical of Muddenahalli group and highlighted parts of it which he thinks are objectionable. He has made the totally false allegation that Stephen Rexford and Somu Vootla's posts and comments that he refers to, have been authored by me!!! [I only translated one post & comment of Somu Vootla from Telugu to English, where Somu Vootla denied that he had shared Stephen Rexford's post critical of SSSCT trustees, and said that his Facebook a/c had been hacked. I did this to help Somu Vootla get out of the tight spot he had got into with respect to SSSCT trustees.]

Mervyn Hughes writes, "What is more dangerous is that this guy now is actively involved in the destabilisation of Central Trust by writing against RJ Ratnakar using false facebook ids and using the facebook accounts of innocent Puttaparthi villagers like Somu Vootla. If you read carefully the post published in the name of some fake person Stephen Rexford, you will find that it has been drafted by none other than our friend Mr. Ravi S Iyer." This statement of Mervyn Hughes is completely false. But if there is a police investigation then the real identity of Stephen Rexford will come out and also any persons who supposedly passed on the contents of that post to him. That may be a good thing.

Mervyn Hughes then comments on this post (see attached pic) that he is going to lodge a formal police complaint against me for harassment and inciting violence and hatred based on matters relating to individual faith. He also writes, "I have handed over all my stuff to someone who is currently looking from a legal angle to lodge an FIR for prima facie harassment and infringement of human rights. This charges can be further upgraded to inciting communal violence and hate speech laws under section 153(A)."

My response to this is that I believe that whatever I have written on social media critical of Muddenahalli group and its false belief that Madhusudan Rao Naidu is a so called communicator of an invisible and inaudible to all others except Madhusudan Rao Naidu, so called subtle body of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba based in Muddenahalli, falls well within the freedom of speech laws of India. Of course, I have never ever put up any post or comment inciting violence of any kind.

Now Mervyn Hughes according to his profile lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. For the sake of this discussion, let us presume that it is true. He does not seem to be an Indian citizen. I wonder whether an Indian court will permit a foreign citizen to file a case against me. But then perhaps some other Indian citizen who is a supporter of Muddenahalli group can file the case on his behalf.

I think it will be good if the police and the Indian courts get involved in this matter. As I understand it, I and people who will support me in this matter (I request FB friends to support me as I will need their support), may be able to use any such complaint about my criticism of Muddenahalli group to request the Indian police and Indian courts to investigate the weird claim of Madhusudan Rao Naidu. I am a law abiding Indian citizen and will follow any directives of Indian police and/or Indian courts of law. [Of course, I will also have the right to appeal some decisions/directives to higher courts.]

[Click on pic below to see it in slightly larger size.]

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Given below are some comments from the associated Facebook post mentioned earlier (https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1778003412416228). I have given almost all my comments but have limited some comments from others who may not want their names and full comments to be published here:

--name-snipped-- wrote:
Brother Ravi S. Iyer please don't get disturbed by these threats. We are all with you. Rest Assured.
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Thanks a ton bro. --name-snipped--. This may be just a bluff from Mervyn Hughes (or whatever is his real name). But if he is moneyed he can use lawyers to harass me. Support from people like you would be very helpful if it comes to a police complaint.
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--name-snipped-- wrote:
Sairam brother. We are also well equipped if it comes to that. We have the best :-) above all Bhagwan's immense grace....
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Yes brother. Bhagavan's Grace and our knowledge that we are walking on Sathya & Dharma. Thanks. Jai Sairam!
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--name-snipped-- If he is using fake name and Id then who will make complaint lol.
mervyn I'm sure doesn't exist.
We don't even know who he is.
...
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
It may be a bluff. But I don't want to take any chances. Moneyed people can cause hassles using lawyers.
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
I think it is a ploy from him to see if I will get scared and stop writing against MDH. I wanted to respond to this ploy in this fashion to show that even if somebody real in India (any MDH supporter) tries such a case against me, I am prepared to face it.
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--name-snipped-- wrote:
First he would have to reveal his true name. So at least you'll know who he really is... other than that as already said. Bhagavan will protect you as you have been protecting Dharma
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Thanks bro. --name-snipped-- for your support.
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--name-snipped-- wrote (slightly edited):
Atleast then we'll find out who the real Guy behind this account is .. Don't worry you haven't don(e) anything wrong.
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Thanks --name-snipped-- for your support. I am just being prepared for any eventuality.
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Vr Ganti wrote (slightly edited):
Om Sri Sai Ram - At the outset let me say that I think I know Ravi S Iyer quite well, though we also have a few arguments and debates on some issues.

Ravi is one of the finest personalities I have come across and I totally disagree with Mervyn Hughes and his observations. Knowing the kind of person he is, I unfriended Mervyn quite sometime back and i am very happy about it. If I remember right there were quite a bit of discussions about Mervyn and whether it is a Fake account and eventually it was agreed that there is no real person called Mervyn Hughes. God knows the Truth.

What nonsense are people talking of filing complaint against Ravi S Iyer and so on. (Do) these guys who are threatening know law in the 1st place. Ravi Sir, dont you worry at all, as there will be no substance at all in their complaint, if at all they make one.

Ha Ha Ha - Ravi inciting violence; what a big joke. Mervyn does not know Ravi Iyer for sure and I think that now he does not understand the word inciting. Mervyn Hughes probably does not understand that many of the non-supporters are just keeping quiet and that does not mean that they do not know when to come to the forefront and take appropriate action.

--snip--. Also did Mervyn read my note - TRUTH CANNOT BE HIDDEN". You read that note Mr. Mervyn Sir. Please dont make any unnecessary comments and complicate things.
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Vr Ganti sir, thank you so much for your strong support for me in this matter. I will not forget such support from you, sir. Yes, Ganti sir and I have disagreements especially on Ganti sir's approach towards bringing improvements in Prasanthi Nilayam (PN) and Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust (SSSCT).

I think I must mention here that I am a supporter of PN and the SSSCT. In particular, I do NOT support and am NOT associated in any way with any efforts to create any problems for any trustees of SSSCT or for any members of the family of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
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--name-snipped-- wrote:
Don't worry brother....swami is there...he will take care surely. You did not do anything wrong...Swami will take care. "Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha" Sai ram
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Thanks brother for your support. Jai Sairam!
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Vr Ganti wrote (slightly edited):
Sai Ram to you Ravi S. Iyer Sir, There is no noise from him after a few of us expressed solidarity with you Sir. In any case, we are not siding you because we like you, but only because we like the issues raised by you and the cause for which you are working. There is very little doubt that Mhalli is all Fake. I have asked so far so simple questions and no one is able to answer them. The TRUTH is that Mhalli is all Fake and I pity those are following the leaders of Mhalli Gang because they are not able to see the fraud. All of us who do not support Mhalli surely apprecaite the work in establishing schools and hospitals, but what we are not happy with is the methodology they are adopting in achieving what they are doing.

We spoken this time and again on various occasions and the last one being on 14th and 15th of Aug when there was a function organized at Mhalli Campus of SSSIHL. TGK was present in Mhalli and he offered to meet BNNM and Madhu but I believe that there was no attempt from both the sides to meet up. Why?

If only BNNM and Madhu are TRUTHFUL to whatever they are doing, why fear to meet anyone. BNNM and company after they finished their tour of SEA including Bali, they have returned on Mhalli well in time on 14th and very conveniently could have met TGK who would have been very happy to meet, I suppose.

E(v)en TGK did not appear to have made any special efforts to meet BNNM and Madhu.

So I dont know where is the problem and that is why I feel that the leaders at both the camps are from working on SAI MISSION
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Vr Ganti, Sairam sir! You wrote, "In any case, we are not siding you because we like you, but only because we like the issues raised by you and the cause for which you are working." Ravi: Yes sir. That's the way it should be.

I don't think it would help now if MDH group leaders and Prasanthi Nilayam (PN) leaders meet. I mean, it is not some political compromise that can be worked out. PN completely rejects Madhusudan Rao Naidu's claims of being this so called communicator of Bhagavan's so called subtle body which is fully endorsed by Shri B.N. Narasimhamurthy and other MDH group leaders.

What can any meeting between MDH group leaders and PN leaders achieve in terms of reunifying both, when MDH group maintains its above FALSE BELIEF stand!

If PN leaders are not interested to meet MDH group leaders UNLESS they give up this FALSE BELIEF, then I fully support such a stand of PN leaders.

I think MDH group has gone too far in its mission to ask Madhusudan Rao Naidu to stop giving his darshan, discourses and interviews using the name of Bhagavan unless it is forced to do so by an Indian court order.

So long as significant numbers of rich donors and devotees want to have MN's darshan, interviews and discourses, imagining it to be Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's darshan, interviews and discourses, I guess MDH group will continue to flourish (unless there is an intervention by an Indian court).
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Vr Ganti wrote:
Om Sri Sai Ram - I am not disputing what you are saying above at all. Do we sit back and do nothing or take some action by which this dispute between the two camps is resolved or not. I have been saying from day one is that the only solution is by UNITY.

I have said many a times and even in writing that EVEN IF BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA COMES IN BLOOD AND FLESH IN FRONT OF ME AND TELL ME THAT HE IS NOW TALKING THROUGH MADHU, I WILL NOT ACCEPT THE SAME. I said this way back in Oct 2014 and continue to maintain the same stand now and will continue to hold this stand until my end.

So the question of any sort of compromise on this front is totally rules out and we don't require people like V Srinivasan (he wrote to me so a few months back) to say this.

The question is what is the Solution for this issue which we have on hand. The so called Medhavulu (WISEMEN) occupying the seats of power in SSSCT have done nothing so far to resolve the issue or even made any effort to do so. That is why I am very severe in my comments against SSSCT and I don't have anything personal against any of them or all of them Sir.

The leader is one who leads and not one who sits back and keep watching Bollywood Movies and / or the one who gives some so called lectures - NO ACTION TALK ONLY (NATO)

Now the question of what the GOVT is doing. Nothing and the question is why? It is not that I am asking the Govt to resolve SPIRITUAL and / or RELIGIOUS issues. Even those which are in their JURISDICTION OR REALM. /very soon I will reveal the same as well, though for almost 1 year I have been withholding expecting GOVT OF AP AND/OR GOVT OF INDIA to act.
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Vr Ganti wrote:
Om Sri Sai Ram - Let us focus, at least in this note and space on FB, on atrocious allegations against you by Mervyn Hughes and Mahlli Supporter(s). Why can't the spokesperson of Mhalli Shri VijaySai B.S. publicly condemn this person Mervyn Hughes? Also can the Mhalli Supporters confirm either that such a person exist or does not exist. It is in fact sickening to deal with and / or comment on a non-existent person. Let us not waste our breath on such matters. Ravi S. Iyer ---names-snipped---
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Vr Ganti sir, I have publicly given my suggestion of a PIL being filed in Karnataka High Court to restrain Madhusudan Rao Naidu from misusing the name of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, for his darshan, interviews and "discourses". I don't know whether SSSCT and PN (Prasanthi Nilayam) authorities have come across my public suggestion and, if so, what their view of it is.

But beyond that, after --Name1-snipped--, former vice-chancellor of SSSIHL (Sai university) who was a hidden supporter of MDH group and then became open supporter of the same, stepped down as VC in Nov. 2014, it is my considered view that SSSCT and PN authorities have slowly and steadily worked towards enforcing discipline regarding dual loyalty persons in PN ashram and managed institutions. Till Nov. 2014, the extent to which MDH group had attracted people in PN ashram system and associated institutions including Sai university (SSSIHL), to them, was extraordinary!!! Every other person in PN system (or perhaps more) was believing in MDH group claims!!! In Sai university (SSSIHL) it seemed as if almost everybody believed in MDH group claims (as its sitting vice-chancellor believed in it)!!!

Now I think we need to support SSSCT and PN authorities including Shri R.J. Rathankar who are working to enforce such discipline. It is a difficult path with lots & lots of opposition and intrigue. For you, Ganti sir, it is very easy to ask why action is not being taken against some people in PN setup for dual loyalty (belief and participation in MDH group while holding office bearer positions in PN institutions). But you do not have the burden of ensuring that PN hospitals function and PN educational institutions function and all other ashram activities continue. You do not have to worry about ensuring sixth pay commission salaries being paid to regular pay scale staff who are the backbone now of these institutions. Such charitable institutions like PN are dependent on donors in money or kind (kind includes free service volunteers of all kinds from Mandir security Seva Dal to engineers and doctors and Visiting Faculties at the Sai university). Any sudden strict action taken may lead to some negative impact in the functioning of the system. Then you may criticize PN leaders again! Sir, my impression is that top level PN administration is a very, very challenging job.

Stephen Rexford alleges in a comment on your post, if I recall correctly, that some salaried staff (Sai university alumni) of PN provided the content of the nasty post against SSSCT trustees to Stephen Rexford. I don't know whether to believe that or not. As Stephen Rexford is an unknown person one has to doubt his words. But for the purpose of discussion, just imagine sir what the reaction will be in the corporate world if salaried employees of a company write such anonymous letters maligning the top board of directors of the company. This is the kind of palace intrigue that is the very, very unfortunate reality of PN even today. Blaming PN leaders for anything and everything is easy sir. Just come and try to run a part of the show for a month or two. Then you will know what it takes to administer PN system today.

About sitting back and doing nothing wrt MDH group. Sir, to me this seems to be like the way Andhra Pradesh got split. Telangana people wanted to separate. They could not be forced to stay in united AP. They used democratic processes to force the split of AP. MDH group have chosen to separate. India is a democracy. MDH group has a right to separate and form a breakaway trust and orgn. That is how the law of the land works. Saying that SSSCT and PN should force MDH group to get united with PN is like saying Telangana state should be forced to reunite with residual AP!!!! The separation of Telangana and AP is a done deed. We have to live with it. Similarly separation of MDH group and PN is a done deed. Any Unity efforts can be pursued only if MDH group people are interested in unifying. They don't seem to have any interest whatsoever in giving up their FALSE BELIEF and following SSSCT and official Sai orgn. So I think we have to simply live with the done deed that MDH group and PN are separate now. Period. What we should avoid is the dual loyalty issue in office bearers of either orgn.
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Vr Ganti, On Mervyn Hughes matter, I think we can stop spending time on it now, and adopt a wait and watch attitude. If I do get any legal intimation from him (or some other MDH group person) in this regard, or any police visit for that matter, I will let you folks know. Meanwhile I intend to put up some more pics of his post as a record of his defamatory content against me, in case I have to use it against him in an Indian court of law. You may please ignore that.
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Just for the record pic - No need for comment responses

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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Just for the record pic - No need for comment responses

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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Just for the record pic - No need for comment responses

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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Sairam Vr Ganti sir, as I would not like to get involved with anything that creates problems for family members of Swami, I have no option but to delete your above comment. Hope you don't mind sir. ... I am NOT an UNBIASED person in this matter. I am BIASED in favour of family members of Bhagavan. Thanks.

For other readers I would like to say that Mr. Ganti wrote that he does not agree with me at all in a comment. In that comment he also mentioned something which I was uncomfortable with being shown on my Facebook pages and so have deleted that comment.
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Ravi S. Iyer wrote: Just for the record pic - No need for comment responses. The pic is Stephen Rexford's comment on Mr. Ganti's post, https://www.facebook.com/notes/vr-ganti/truth-cannot-be-hidden-why-cannot-rj-rathnakar-realize-that/10207228325371102.

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Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Just for the record - no need for comment responses. The article published by Stephen Rexford referred to in the comment above is here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/stephen-rexford/discrimination-by-central-trust-why-differential-treatment-why-this-injustice/332362980485332.