New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday sought details about all eight ashrams of alleged 'godman' Virendra Dev Dikshit, who is under scanner after several cases of sexual assault and forced confinement of minor girls were filed against him by two female devotees.
According to ANI, the Delhi High Court today directed the authorities to furnish details about all the ashrams of 'baba' Virendra Dev Dikshit at the earliest.
The court also raised concerns about the alleged illegal activities being conducted in the ashram in the name of teaching meditation to devotees, many of whom were being forcibly kept in prison-like conditions.
The court also indicated that a warrant would be issued against Virender Dev Dikshit, the head of the ashram, if details about his centres aren't submitted soon.
The Delhi High Court has ordered DCW, Delhi Police and two senior lawyers to inspect all his ashrams, DCW chief Swati Maliwal said today.
High Court has ordered Baba Virender Dev Dikshit to appear before the Court. It was learnt that there are 8 more Ashrams of the Baba in Delhi. DCW requested inspection of these Ashrams. High Court has ordered DCW, Delhi Police and 2 senior lawyers to inspect these too.
— Swati Jai Hind (@SwatiJaiHind) December 22, 2017
Over 40 girls were rescued by the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) along with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the Delhi Police from Rohini's Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya.
The step was taken after the Delhi High Court formed a panel consisting of lawyers and the DCW chief to inspect the premises of the ashram, owned by the Baba Virender Dikshit, where girls and women were allegedly kept in illegal confinement.
"A 13-year-old victim said that she was raped by the Baba. It is high time to take action against such Babas. We were also held hostage when we went there to rescue the victims. Somehow we managed to rescue the girls," DCW chief Swati Maliwal told the media.
"We also came across lots of medicines stocked up which we are sure were being given to these girls as they seemed to be in a trance when we rescued them", she added.
"Finally, after 3 days, in a mammoth operation, 41 minor girls were rescued from Baba Virender Dikshit Ashram with the help of CWC & Delhi Police. These girls will now be counselled, their parents will be contacted and their ages will be verified. This place needs to be shut & the baba should be arrested!," Maliwal had tweeted yesterday.
हाई कोर्ट के आर्डर पे 3 दिन के सर्च ऑपरेशन के बाद @SwatiJaiHind ने दिल्ली पुलिस, CWC के साथ मिलके अध्यात्मिक विश्वविद्यालय रोहिणी से 41 नाबालिग लड़कियों को छुड़वाया और वहां से कई आपत्तिजनक सामग्री जप्त करवाई.. pic.twitter.com/A103eKAKdC
— Amit Mishra (@Amitjanhit) December 21, 2017
The rescued girls, who were sent to the shelter homes, will now be counselled.
The residents of the area alleged that these minors had been "trapped" inside the ashram and were trained to work as sex workers.
"This place has been given the name of a University. Girls from this place were taken to some place in buses and there were trained as a sex labour. This place was a complete fraud and the girls who used to come here were not even allowed to meet their parents," one of the residents told ANI.
In the last 20-22 years, numerous complainants have approached the Police, but to no avail. I was also threatened for raising my voice in the media, but I was not afraid. I wanted to save innocent girls,'' said one of the neighbours of Baba Virendra Dev Dikshit's Ashram.
The Delhi High Court had earlier directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the ashram in Rohini where girls and women were allegedly being illegally imprisoned.
The inmates of the ashram were brought from various parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have already initiated a probe into the matter.
