Above: Delhi High Court/Photo: Anil Shakya

The Delhi High Court on Thursday (February 8) dealing with the sexual assault of minor girls at Rohini-based ashram expressed anguish at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for unable to track one of the respondents Deepak Anthony D’silva and directed the investigating agency to produce him before it.

During the course of proceedings, the bench comprising of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar was informed by the counsel appearing for Virender Dev Dikshit (the founder and head of the ashram) that they were extending full cooperation to CBI in tracking D’silva.

The counsel appearing for Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) informed the bench that when the representatives of MCD had gone to demolish the ashram, they couldn’t do so due to the resistance by the inmates at the ashram.

The counsel of Dikshit countered it by saying: “The children are free and there is no wrongful confinement.”

Dikshit’s counsel again submitted that the Adyatamic Vishwadiyala was a University and that January 24’s notification by the UGC enquired about the “standard” of the University and was not about deeming it as a “fake” university.

To which the bench asked the counsel: “Kindly show us the provision by UGC.”

Counsel replied: “They are not taking any exam or fees or donation than how it comes under UGC. We teach about aatma parmatma, knowledge of spirit.”

Bench again reiterated: “You can’t call yourself as University. And the case pertains to the criminal activities of Dikshit.”

The bench posted the matter for next hearing to March 15, 2018.

—India Legal Bureau