A Hindu guru dogged by controversy is relocating his temple to Dayton, Ohio, even as he wages legal battles in Georgia.
Annamalai Annamalai, also known as Dr. Commander Selvam, moved his operations in part because he needed to "step back and regroup" from his troubles in Atlanta, said his lawyer John Scaccia.
Annamalai has been arrested twice in Gwinnett County since 2008 on charges of credit card fraud and practicing medicine without a license. Prosecutors dropped the charges due to insufficient evidence.
Attendance at the Hindu Temple of Georgia has plummeted, leading to bankruptcy and foreclosure earlier this year. The temple is still embroiled in bankruptcy court, where the IRS is seeking $600,000 in unpaid taxes.
Annamalai filed a lawsuit in federal court last week seeking $56 million in damages from Gwinnett authorities. It targets Gwinnett police investigator Paul Cwalina, who lead the investigation, Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway, and Sheriff's Deputy Dave Henry. Several former temple devotees whose complaints prompted the investigation also were included in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims Cwalina coached individuals to say they were swindled by Annamalai as part of a conspiracy to destroy the temple. It is the latest of dozens of legal actions that Annamalai has filed against people who criticized him or raised questions about his practices.
"The poor guy was portrayed by law enforcement as being some type of a criminal," said Scaccia.
Officials from the Gwinnett police and Sheriff's departments declined to comment on the pending litigation.
The Dayton Daily News this month reported that Annamalai paid $525,000 in cash for an old bank building in downtown Dayton. He also bought a flea market where he plans to establish his new temple, the newspaper said. But Georgians probably haven't seen the last of Annamalai.
"He thinks of them very highly and cares about his temple and wants to come back there," Scaccia said.
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