The CBSE Thursday sought a report from the Gujarat education department on how a school's land was leased to self-styled godman Nithyananda's ashram in Ahmedabad without its permission, reported PTI. The principal of the school, Hitesh Puri, has been arrested for violating government norms while leasing out the land, the police said. Earlier, Puri had said the lease agreement of the ashram with DPS Maninagar, Ahmedabad, had been terminated. "The board has written to the state education department to inquire into the matter of leasing out the land of DPS Maninagar, Ahmedabad, to Swami Nithyananda ashram without permission of the board," a senior CBSE official told PTI. "It has been asked to conduct the inquiry expeditiously and convey the outcome of the report and status of No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by the state department to the school for seeking CBSE affiliation," the official added. Nithyananda was booked after a couple from Tamil Nadu moved the Gujarat High Court on Monday, alleging their children were being held in illegal confinement at his ashram. The police booked Nithyananda on charges of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children to make them collect donations from followers to run his ashram. Two of his disciples, Sadhvi Pranpriyananda and Priyatatva Riddhi Kiran, have been arrested. In June 2018, a Karnataka court had framed charges against the controversial godman in a rape case. (with PTI inputs)
