CBI says LOC issued against Rohini ashram founder for keeping women followers in confinement

New Delhi: The CBI on Monday told the Delhi High Court that a look out circular (LOC) has been issued against Virender Dev Dixit, who allegedly kept girls and women confined at an ashram founded by him in the national capital. [caption id=“attachment_4329447” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] The agency made the submission after a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked whether Dixit had joined the CBI probe into the running of his ashrams as well as the complaints against him. During the hearing, the court also observed that the ashram was not a ‘vishwa-vidyalaya’ or university as defined under the University Grants Commission Act and it cannot therefore continue to represent itself as one. It observed that the Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya, in Rohini in north Delhi, has no legal status as it is neither a registered society nor a corporate entity according to the companies law. The bench, however, did not pass any order directing it to stop using the expressions ‘vishwa-vidyalaya’ or university after the ashram’s lawyer asked that he be heard before a direction was passed. The lawyer also said the UGC has no jurisdiction over the ashram as it is run by god through his incarnation(s) and god himself imparts the teachings. The court listed the matter for further hearing on 8 February. The bench was hearing a PIL in which various allegations have been made by an NGO which has claimed that girls and women were illegally confined at the “spiritual university” in Rohini.