Delhi HC orders probe into affairs of Virender Dev Dixit’s ashrams after CBI says he is dead

The Delhi High Court on Monday said an inquiry was needed into the affairs of the ashrams of selfstyled spiritual preacher Virender Dev Dixit as society has every reason to know about the activities taking place there after the CBI informed the court that he is deadThe court was hearing a matter related to allegations that several women and girls were being held in illegal confinement at the Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidhyalaya ashram in Rohini northwest DelhiA bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia directed the station house officer SHO of Delhis Vijay Vihar police station to register a missing person case and initiate a probe after being informed by ashram women that an inmate was missing while her belongings were still lying on the premisesDuring the proceedings the court was also informed by the CBIs counsel that Dixit who had been absconding for a long time was now deadCourts cannot interfere with their activities provided they are not disturbing the public order That is the only test But nobody can be left unaccountable The peers of the ashram cannot be left unaccountable Somebody should be there and if nobody comes forward the State will take it over the bench saidThe court was informed that the missing womans parents were seriously ill and had no one else to look after them in their advanced age They wished to meet their daughter whom they had spoken to over a video call but she had refused to visit themThe bench said We are of the opinion that the affairs of the ashrams and the manner in which they are being run need to undergo an inquirySince respondent 4 woman inmate is said to be missing though her luggage and belongings are lying in the Rohini Ashram we direct the SHO of Vijay Vihar police station to register a case of missing person and conduct an inquiry into the whereabouts of respondent 4The court directed the SHO to complete the inquiry and apprise it of the outcome on August 31 the next date of hearingThe bench said it was not coming in the way of anyones faith or belief but there had to be accountabilitySomebody should own up responsibility We are not coming in the way of anybodys faith or spiritual belief Everybody is free to practice that provided it does not disturb the public orderBut there has to be accountability Somebody should own up responsibility and somebody should be accountable the bench saidIt added that society has every reason to know what exactly is happening in the ashramsThe application filed by the missing womans parents stated that while her father was in a serious medical condition and admitted to a hospital they spoke to their daughter over a video call and found that she was also in a bad conditionHer counsel claimed that the women inmates at the ashram were being drugged and were mentally incapable of giving free consent to anythingShe also alleged that some of the inmates at the Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidhyalaya ashram in Rohini were minorsAfter going through the records of the case the bench orally said Can the minor inmates if any be left at the mercy of the ashram peopleWhat is happening There are such startling facts How can these things be left like this That fellow Dixit is absconding and nobody is taking responsibility for running the ashram What stops the Income Tax department from checking their accounts From where are these monies coming the bench askedThe application was filed in pending petitions including a plea moved by the mother of a woman who is stated to be residing at the ashram under the influence of some people and another filed by an aged couple alleging that their highly educated daughter had been misled into living there and was harbouring overvalued ideasThe court had earlier observed that there were serious allegations of rape against Dixit and asked the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI to file a status reportThe CBIs counsel had said that two FIRs had been lodged against Dixit for alleged rape and that all efforts were being made to apprehend himIn 2017 NGO Foundation for Social Empowerment filed a plea alleging that several minor girls and women were being illegally confined at Dixits spiritual university mdash Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidhyalaya in Rohini mdash and were not allowed to meet their parentsThe court had earlier asked the CBI to track down Dixit and directed the federal agency to probe the alleged illegal confinement of girls and women at the ashramThe CBI had then assured the court that all efforts were being made to ascertain Dixits whereabouts Raids were carried out at his farmhouses and ashrams and special teams were constituted to arrest himThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever