The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought to know the whereabouts of the man who founded the ‘ashram’ in Rohini where girls and women were allegedly kept in illegal confinement under the garb of religious teaching.
‘No dodging questions’
A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar told the lawyer appearing for Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya not to dodge questions on the location of Virender Dev Dixit, referred to as the founder and spiritual head of the ‘ashram’.
“If he has done nothing wrong, there is no difficulty in him joining the investigation,” the Bench remarked, directing Mr. Dixit to appear before a Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the CBI, which is probing the case.
The High Court was informed that the four-storey building in Rohini houses 168 female inmates at present. The judges also asked the ashram why the inmates were kept behind locked halls with iron grills and metal doors.
“If you are running an ashram…what is this business of a metal door, iron grills and locks. If you are claiming that the inmates are free, then why are you controlling their movements, who they meet and how they eat? Why are you not allowing them to meet their parents,” the Bench said.
The court has also looked into the financial details of the ashram and asked for details on the source of funds to run the institution.
The High Court had on Wednesday directed the CBI to inspect the ashram in Rohini. It had directed the CBI’s director to constitute an SIT to probe various FIRs registered by girls and women, who were allegedly lured into the ashram on the pretext of seeking spiritual guidance and then raped.
Medical examination
It ordered the city government to send a team of doctors to examine each of the inmates in the ashram after the panel said many of the girls in the ashram were sick and received no medical attention.
It also directed the Child Welfare Committee chairperson to visit the premises and take steps in accordance with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.
