The Division Bench of Delhi High Court comprising of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad has sought assistance from retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi on a matter concerning the welfare of women living in an Adhyatmik Vidhyalaya ashram founded by self-styled spiritual preacher Virender Dev Dixit in Rohini, Delhi.

The court, which had constituted a committee under the supervision of Ms. Bedi to monitor the functioning of the ashram in Rohini directed that she be informed about the listing of the matter on October 7.

In an order passed the bench said, “Ms. Kiran Bedi is requested to assist this Court in the matter on the next date of hearing.” “Learned Counsel appearing for the Delhi Commission for Women undertakes to inform Ms. Kiran Bedi about the listing of the present case on October 7, 2022. The Registrar General shall also inform Ms. Kiran Bedi about the listing of the matter on October 7, 2022,”.

In 2017, an NGO Foundation for Social Empowerment moved the Delhi High Court alleging that several minors and women were allegedly being illegally confined at the Ashram and were not allowed to meet their parents.

The high court had then asked the CBI to trace the founder of the ashram Dixit and directed the agency to probe the alleged illegal confinement of girls and women in the ashram where it was claimed they were kept in “animal-like” conditions behind metal doors in a “fortress” surrounded by barbed wire.

The case is now listed before the Delhi high Court on 07.10.2022.