In January, a delegation from the self-declared “United States of Kailasa” met with the mayor of Newark, New Jersey and signed a sister-city agreement at a public ceremony.

Unfortunately for city officials, Kailasa is a fictional island country led by cult leader Nithyananda, who is wanted in India on charges of rape and abduction.

A spokesperson for Newark mayor Ras Baraka said the public ceremony with representatives of Kailasa — which can still be viewed on YouTube — was “a regrettable incident”, The Guardian reports.

The agreement was in force for six days before being dissolved as “baseless and void” and no money had exchanged hands, they added.