Mahakumbh 2025: Was viral IITian Baba ousted from Juna Akhara? He clarifies

Abhey Singh, aka IITian Baba or Engineer Baba,  a former IIT Bombay aerospace engineer turned spiritual leader, has been expelled from the Juna Akhara camp at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. The Akhara claims he was ousted for using abusive language against his guru and defaming the organization. However, Singh denies the allegations, accusing the seers of spreading rumours due to his growing popularity.

A Juna Akhara member, who denied any association with Abhey Singh, claimed he was "defaming" them. "He's a vagabond, not a sadhu," the member stated. "He'd say anything on TV, and we had to throw him out." The member also clarified that Singh was not a disciple of any guru within the Akhara.

However, IITian Baba refuted claims of being expelled from the Akhara, instead alleging that the seers were spreading rumours about him. "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 told a news channel. 

IITian Baba earlier explained why he abandoned his science background to pursue spirituality. "Science helps explain the physical world but its deeper study inevitably leads one towards spirituality. A true understanding of life ultimately brings one closer to spirituality," he had said while engaging with devotees at Maha Kumbh.

He had also previously spoken about his traumatic childhood experiences, including witnessing domestic violence between his parents. He recounts feeling helpless and escaping into his studies to cope with the chaos. This difficult past has had a lasting impact on him, influencing his decision not to marry and instead pursue a life of spirituality and solitude.

Meanwhile, Abhey’s remarkable journey from a distinguished academic path to IITian Baba has garnered widespread attention. Nevertheless, his father, Karan Grewal, a lawyer from Jhajjar, Haryana, yearns for his son's return, expressing a parent's universal desire for reunion and reconciliation: "Obviously, I want him to come home."