'Was asked to leave Kumbh': IITian Baba refutes 'disappearance' reports
What's the story
Abhay Singh, popularly known as "IIT Baba," has refuted reports that he went missing from the 16 Madi Ashram at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. Speaking to Aaj Tak, Singh explained that he was asked to leave by the ashram's operators. "The operators....asked me to leave at night. Now they think I've become famous and that I might expose something about them, so they're claiming I've gone for secret meditation. Those people are talking nonsense," he said.
Health debate
Singh questions mental health assessment by seers
Reports had claimed that Singh's parents came to the ashram looking for him, only to learn that he had already left. Other seers at the ashram alleged that his frequent media appearances were impacting his mental health and accused him of drug abuse. Addressing these allegations, Singh questioned their authority to judge his mental health. "Who are these psychologists who know my mental state better than me?" he asked.
Relationship denial
Singh denies guru-disciple relationship with prominent seer
Singh also denied the claims of Someshwar Puri, a senior seer of Juna Akhara, who claimed to be Singh's guru. "Who said he is my guru?" Singh asked, denying any such relationship. He stressed there was no guru-disciple relationship between them. "Now that I've become famous, he's made himself my guru," the aerospace engineer-turned-spiritual figure said.
Spiritual transition
Singh's journey from engineering to spirituality
Singh's shift from a successful engineering career to a life of spirituality has caught national attention. A native of Haryana, he was an academic topper and graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering from IIT Bombay. He pursued a master's degree in design and worked for a short period in Canada. During the Covid-19 lockdown in Canada, his interest in spirituality deepened, taking him back to India where he adopted an itinerant lifestyle, visiting spiritual hubs like Ujjain and Haridwar.