A Bench of the Delhi High Court directed Delhi Government’s standing counsel to obtain instructions from the Women and Child Development Department as to whether they are ready to take over the institution
Representative Image: ANI
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday observed that the women at absconding godman Virendra Dev Dixit’s ashram in Delhi appear to be indoctrinated, resulting in them tolerating the inhuman living conditions in the ashram.
According to Bar and Bench, Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi stated that it can’t be accepted that any sane person would choose to live in such “inhumane conditions” prevailing at the ashram and even though the inmates may say that they are living there out of their free will, the Court cannot shut its eyes to facts.
Therefore, the Bench directed Delhi Government’s standing counsel to obtain instructions from the Women and Child Development Department as to whether they are ready to take over the institution.
The High Court disagreed with the decision of the predecessor bench which had interacted with the women at the ashram and refused to pass any orders.
“It seems the court previously called the inmates and spoke to them. The judges were satisfied that these women were there due to their own free will and therefore no direction was passed. But there is one aspect which appears to have missed out. That is how we can accept that any sane person can live in this condition. This indoctrination is there. They may say they are there out of their own free will but can shut our eyes to this. Who is funding this institution? Who is providing for it? They are not willing to come up,” the court observed, Bar and Bench report stated.
The matter will next be considered on Monday.
The High Court had earlier expressed shock at the functioning of the ashram, where over 160 women are alleged to be living in “inhumane” and “animal-like” conditions.
As per the report, Dixit was an adherent of the Brahma Kumaris, who later founded his own organisation — Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya. He has been accused of confining and sexually exploiting over 100 women at his “fortress-like ashram” in Rohini area of the national capital.
Dixit and his ashram got attention in December 2018 when over 40 women were rescued from the premises by Delhi Police. Since then, the godman has been on the run, while the matter is now being handled by Central Bureau of Investigation.
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.