Five sisters, who had been inmates of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, have threatened to end their lives if anyone, including the Ashram Trust or Police, launches action to evict them from the premises as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court on December 9 directed Jayashreee Prasad, Arunashri Prasad, Rajyashree Prasad, Nivedita Prasad and Hemalata Prasad – to vacate the premises within seven days, and if they failed to vacate the Jurisdictional police station — All Mahila police station, Puducherry, should evict them from the premises, Ambabhikshu House.
Post on blog
The sisters also posted on their blog the copy of a letter addressed to the Trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram demanding assurance from them that they direct the police to stop the execution of the Supreme Court order and give a written undertaking to that effect.
“All of us have decided to end our lives rather than face anymore injustice, harassment and victimisation. We are also going to leave suicide notes naming all of you and many others concerned responsible for constraining us to end our lives. Our suicide notes will cause adverse repercussions to the Ashram community as a whole.”
'Restore facilities'
The sisters have also urged the Ashram Trust to restore all facilities of medical, laundry as provided to every inmate till the final outcome of the trial and the disposal of the pending cases.
The dispute could be traced back to 2002 when the Ashram took disciplinary action against Hemalata Prasad based on a report by a commission headed by a retired judge, constituted by the Madras High Court.
The enquiry concluded that the “allegations against Hemalata is quite serious and if such misconduct is ignored and no action taken it will set a bad precedent and jeopardise the noble principles on which the Ashram is established.”
Later the sisters brought up a sexual harassment allegation against the Ashram Trust and other members. The Ashram maintained that the allegations were false and ill-motivated.
False complaints
The Trust pointed out that the National Commission for Women and National Human Rights Commission had both independently found the complaints of the five sisters false.
According to an inmate of the Ashram, the letter written by the sisters amounted subverting the order of the Supreme Court by issuance of threats.
It was another form of extortion and an attempt to browbeat the official machinery.
