The Delhi High Court has mandated an inquiry into the management and operations of ashrams established by self-styled spiritual preacher Virender Dev Dixit, emphasizing the public’s right to know about the activities taking place inside such institutions. The ruling was issued on Monday after the Central Bureau of Investigation informed the court that Dixit, who had been evading law enforcement for several years over sexual assault charges, has died.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia instructed the station house officer of Delhi’s Vijay Vihar police station to register a missing person case and launch an immediate investigation into the disappearance of a female inmate. Although the woman’s personal belongings remain inside the Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidhyalaya ashram in Rohini, north-west Delhi, her current location is unknown. Police have been directed to complete the inquiry and present their findings to the court by August 31.
Concerns Over Ashram Governance and Funding
Addressing the breakdown of governance at the facility, the court noted that while judicial authorities do not interfere with religious freedom or spiritual practices provided public order is maintained, institutional accountability remains essential. The bench stated that if no administrative figures step forward to take legal responsibility for the ashram’s management following Dixit’s death, state authorities will assume control of the institution.
The court also raised sharp questions regarding oversight at the facility, questioning how minor residents or female inmates could be left without responsible management while the founder remained a fugitive. Additionally, the bench questioned why tax authorities had not audited the ashram’s financial accounts and funding sources.
Background of Legal Petitions and Allegations
The latest court directives stem from legal proceedings initially brought in 2017 by the non-governmental organization Foundation for Social Empowerment, alongside petitions from affected families. The original filings alleged that numerous women and minor girls were being illegally confined at the Rohini ashram and forcibly isolated from their parents. Legal representatives for the petitioners further claimed that female residents were being drugged, rendering them mentally incapable of giving free consent.
The court’s latest order followed a specific application submitted by the elderly parents of the missing inmate. The applicant, who is currently hospitalized in serious condition, reported speaking to his daughter over a video call where she appeared in poor health, though she declined to return home to assist her parents.
Prior to informing the court of Dixit’s death, federal investigators had registered two First Information Reports charging the spiritual leader with rape. The agency had previously set up specialized search teams and conducted raids across multiple properties and farmhouses in efforts to trace and arrest him.
