Rohini sex racket case: Chilling details emerge as raids continue at 'godman' Virendra Dev Dikshit's ashram

New Delhi: Chilling details about the illicit activities of alleged 'godman' Virendra Dev Dikshit, who has been accused of running a sex racket and human trafficking, are coming out as the authorities continue raids at all of his ashrams spread in the national capital.

It has now come to light that 'Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya' – the controversial ashram run by the godman – was an unregistered society. 

The Delhi High Court was on Friday told that the Rohini centre of the godman did not have any legal status following which the bench comprising Justice Geeta Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar gave the order for the inspection of all of his ashrams.

Among several startling findings made by the authorities, one claims that the devotees of the alleged godman were asked to sign affidavits similar to now-jailed Gurmeet Ram Rahim, stating that there was no pressure on them and that they have given themselves to the ashram out of their wish.

The Delhi Police officials, who raided the ashram, found barbed wire along the boundary walls, metal doors at every interval and several sacks filled with syringes and medicines.

Close to a hundred women, cut off from their families and the outside world, were found to living miserably in tiny cubicles of the Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya ashram in Rohini.

Most of them, who were rescued by the Delhi Police along with the Women and Child Welfare Department, were said to be confined there for nearly 25 years . 

The ashram, operating for the past 25 years in Rohini’s Vijay Vihar, is now at the centre of allegations of sexual assault, illegal confinement of women and men, use of narcotic substances to allegedly keep the women confined inside the premises.

The allegations came to light after a raid was conducted on Tuesday evening following a Delhi High Court order on a PIL filed by an NGO — Foundation for Social Empowerment. 

The NGO had, in its petition, maintained that several minors and women were allegedly being illegally confined at the “spiritual university”.

The Delhi High Court had yesterday sought details about all eight ashrams of alleged 'godman' Virendra Dev Dikshit, who has been accused of sexual assault and forced confinement of minor girls.

The Delhi High Court directed the authorities to furnish details about all the ashrams of 'baba' Virendra Dev Dikshit at the earliest. 

The court also indicated that a warrant would be issued against Virender Dev Dikshit, the head of the ashram, if details about his centres aren't submitted soon.

The Delhi High Court ordered the DCW, Delhi Police and two senior lawyers to inspect all his ashrams. 

The step was taken after the Delhi High Court formed a panel consisting of lawyers and the DCW chief to inspect the premises of the ashram, owned by the Baba Virender Dikshit.

The residents of the area have alleged that these minors were "trapped" inside the ashram and were trained to work as sex workers.

"This place has been given the name of a University. Girls from this place were taken to some place in buses and there were trained as a sex labour. This place was a complete fraud and the girls who used to come here were not even allowed to meet their parents," one of the residents told ANI.

In the last 20-22 years, numerous complainants have approached the Police, but to no avail. I was also threatened for raising my voice in the media, but I was not afraid. I wanted to save innocent girls,'' said one of the neighbours of Baba Virendra Dev Dikshit's Ashram.

The Delhi High Court had earlier directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the ashram in Rohini where girls and women were allegedly being illegally imprisoned.

The inmates of the ashram were brought from various parts of the country.

(With Agency inputs)