Above: Delhi High Court/Photo: Anil Shakya

The Delhi High Court on Friday (December 22) dealing with the plea alleging confinement of girls in the Adhyatmik Vishwavidhyalaya Ashram, Rohini asked the CBI to trace the founder of the Ashram and present him before it on January 4.

The bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also asked for a list of all 8 ashrams of Virendra Dev Dikshit, the founder of the Ashram to be produced as soon as possible. The bench also directed to produce Deepak D’Silva, close aide of Dikshit before it.

During the course of hearing, Dikshit’s counsel submitted to the bench that the whereabouts of Dikshit was not known.

To which the bench lambasted the counsel saying: “The women and girls were kept in the Ashram in cage. What kind of Spirituality is this?”

The bench issued contempt of court notice against the Ashram and appointed a team to inspect the Ashram.

The bench warned the Ashram that it should not interfere in the operations of the team appointed by it.

The Court will take up the matter again on December 22.

—India Legal Bureau