Give report on Rohini ashram founder’s whereabouts: Delhi high court to CBI

The court said that while it will not interfere in any genuine, legitimate and honest spiritual activity, it will “not countenance any fraudulent or illegal activity”.

The Delhi High Court termed as “extremely suspicious” on Thursday the conduct of the founder of a north Delhi-based ashram where girls were allegedly kept in illegal confinement and asked the CBI to give a report on his whereabouts.

The bench had earlier ordered a CBI probe by a SIT into the ashram and its founder. (HT/HT PHOTO)

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar prima facie found substance in the argument of a panel appointed by it that the ashram and its founder Virender Dev Dixit were making the girls housed there lodge false complaints against their family members.

It said these complaints against family members appear to have been lodged to dissuade them from pursuing cases against the ashram and Dixit.

The court said that while it will not interfere in any genuine, legitimate and honest spiritual activity, it will “not countenance any fraudulent or illegal activity”.

The bench also said that the entire organisation was run and managed by Dixit and arguments to the contrary by the ashram’s lawyer are “falsified” by information on the website as well as YouTube videos.

The bench had earlier ordered a CBI probe by a SIT into the ashram and its founder.

The SIT was also asked to investigate various complaints lodged against the ashram and its founder.