Inspect ashram run by fugitive preacher: HC

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Monday ordered the inspection of a Delhi ashram run by a now absconding self-styled preacher, Virender Dev Dixit, where several girls and women were allegedly illegally confined.The bench of justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain, dealing with a petition by the mother of a woman residing in the ashram, Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidhyalaya, said there were allegations of rape against Dixit.The CBI counsel told the court that there were two FIRs against Dixit for alleged rape and efforts were being made to apprehend him. "Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidhyalaya is having only five girls, including respondent no 6 (the daughter). Since there is an FIR under a serious offence... we hereby direct the state to inspect the ashram along with the SDM and DCP. Fresh status report be filed," the court said.The court listed the case for January 24. It asked the petitioner's daughter not to leave the ashram in the meantime.There are two cases pending in court involving Dixit's ashram, of which one is by an aged couple alleging their daughter was misled into living there. In 2017, the NGO Foundation for Social Empowerment filed a plea saying girls and women were being illegally confined in Rohini. tnn