Will take steps to get Virender Dev Dixit declared as absconder, CBI tells HC

CBI told the Delhi High Court Monday that it will take steps to get self-styled spiritual guru Virender Dev Dixit, accused in two rape cases, declared as an absconder.

The submission by the premier investigating agency was made before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar which directed the magisterial court to complete the proceedings with regard to the two rape cases against Dixit and to send it to the sessions court so that trial can commence at the earliest.

Dixit, the founder of an ashram at Rohini in northwest Delhi where girls and women were allegedly kept confined, has been absconding since the matter reached the high court and CBI has offered a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information leading to his arrest.

Directions were also issued by the high court to the Appellate Tribunal MCD to expeditiously dispose of, preferably within eight weeks, the appeals against the North Delhi Municipal Corporation's decision to demolish the ashram, Adhyatmik Vidyalaya.

Perusing the videos and photographs of the ashram, the bench observed that the property had unauthorised constructions and the girls and women were living there in "pathetic conditions".

It also asked the corporation as to why no steps were taken to vacate the stay granted by the tribunal against the demolition order.

In response to the query of the bench, the corporation said it had on several occasions told the tribunal that the high court was monitoring the issue, but it still granted the stay and kept on extending it.

The corporation assured the bench that it would move an application before the tribunal to vacate the stay.

During the proceedings, CBI told the court that it has filed charge sheets in both the rape cases against Dixit.

The issue of illegal confinement of women and girls at the ashram came to the court's attention after a PIL was moved by an NGO alleging that girls and women were being illegally confined at the "spiritual university" in Rohini.

Subsequently, the court had constituted a panel of advocates Ajay Verma and Nandita Rao and Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal to inspect the ashram.

On inspection of the ashram, the panel found that girls and women were being allegedly kept in "animal-like" conditions behind metal doors in a "fortress" like building which was surrounded by barbed wire.

The committee was also obstructed from carrying out its work by some of Dixit's disciples living in the ashram relating to which a separate case was lodged and CBI has filed a charge sheet in that matter as well.

Based on the inspection of the ashram, the high court had in December 2017 ordered the CBI to probe the matter by setting up a special investigation team (SIT) to take charge of all records and documents pertaining to the case.

At the first hearing of the matter, the court had said the situation at the Rohini ashram was "similar" to the one run in Sirsa, Haryana, without making any direct reference to Gurmeet Ram Rahim or the Dera Sacha Sauda sect led by him.