Prayagraj: Abhey Singh, a former aerospace engineer from IIT Bombay who became the viral face of Prayagraj’s Mahakumbh Mela, again grabbed headlines over his sudden ‘disappearance’ from Juna Akhara’s ashram.
Reports indicate that he was expelled from his akhara on Saturday night for using abusive language against his Guru, Mahant Someshwar Puri.
In a controversial reel, he had referred to his father as “Hiranyakashyap” and his Guru as “Pagal” (mad) after a disagreement between them, leading to widespread demands for action against him within the Akhara.
“The act of Abhey Singh goes against the Guru-Shishya (master-disciple) tradition and the principles of Sanyas. Disrespecting one’s Guru shows a lack of respect for Sanatan Dharma and the Akhara. Discipline is of utmost importance in Juna Akhara, and no one is above it—not me, nor anyone like Singh,” TOI reported, quoting Mahant Hari Giri, Chief Patron of Juna Akhara.
Other seers at the ashram felt that IIT Baba’s frequent media appearances were negatively impacting his mental state, leading to what they described as “inappropriate” comments. There were also accusations about his alleged drug use.
A Juna Akhara member told NDTV that he was a vagabond, not a sadhu.
Singh also confirmed that he was asked to leave the Akhara’s ashram. “The operators of the Madi Ashram asked me to leave at night. They think I’ve become famous and might expose something about them, so they claim I’ve gone for secret meditation. Those people are talking nonsense,” he told Aaj Tak.
He asserted that he was still at the religious gathering.
The aerospace engineer-turned-spiritual figure also dismissed allegations of mental stress and drug use. “Who are these psychologists who know my mental state better than me? They should know more than me to give me a certificate,” he said.
Singh claimed that he was not a disciple of seer Someshwar Puri of the Juna Akhara. “I had already told him there is no guru-disciple relationship between us. Now that I’ve become famous, he’s made himself my guru,” the report quoted Singh as saying.
The former engineer had grabbed attention for simplifying complex spiritual concepts through diagrams and visual presentations. His story was widely covered by leading newspapers and TV channels.