Team formed to find absconding godman of Rohini Ashram: CBI to Delhi HC

The HC asked the counsel appearing for the CBI about the steps taken by the agency in accordance with the court’s last order. The HC was informed that a 10-member team has been constituted to arrest Dixit; further physical and electronic surveillance is being carried out to trace him. The counsel said teams were sent to various branches of the ashram across the country and that Dixit has probably escaped to Nepal.

A status report of November 7, filed by the CBI, states that a lookout circular, followed by a blue corner notice, a red corner notice by Interpol and a non-bailable warrant were issued against Dixit.

Advocate Akansha Kaul, amicus curiae in the matter, submitted that if the agency can track from where certain videos were uploaded, it could give some idea about Dixit’s location. In the last hearing, Kaul had pointed out that videos were being uploaded by Dixit, as latest as August.

The CBI’s Superintendent of Police said they had gone through a large number of these videos, which mostly contain Dixit’s photographs. “We can’t say when they were prepared,” the SP said. The HC put to the SP that if they find the URL source, then it would show where the video was uploaded from. The SP said, “I assure this Hon’ble Court – we are working on it. We have deployed a 10-member team to locate him.”

The HC thereafter observed, “The CBI has assured the court that they are taking all possible steps to locate Virendra Dev Dixit, and that a 10-member committee has been constituted to locate him”. It further noted that the CBI is making all possible efforts to find out who is uploading the videos to locate where Dixit was.

“Let a fresh status report be filed by the CBI within four weeks, which will include steps taken to locate Dixit,” directed the HC. It further directed that the SP shall also take all possible endeavours to find out if there is any immovable property of Dixit’s which can be attached as he is a proclaimed offender.

The HC heard another plea filed by a follower of Adhyatmik Vidyalaya against the application of the Women and Children Institutions Licensing Act and the Delhi Women and Children Institutions Licensing Rules. The counsel, Amol Kokane, appearing for the petitioner argued that the followers do not believe in a hierarchy, and hence the application of the Act and rules for obtaining a licence and maintaining the institute is violative of their freedom of religion (Article 25) under the Constitution.

The HC questioned how Article 25 is being violated if the ashram gets registered under the statute. Kokane submitted that his clients cannot form a governing body as per their spiritual texts. The court, thereafter, asked if the ashram has an administrator, and they were informed that Dixit is the administrator. The HC listed the matter for hearing on November 23.

On October 7, the HC directed the ashram to register itself with the Delhi government and further directed the government to pass appropriate orders on the same.