Delhi: More girls, kept in ‘prison-like’ confinement, rescued from ashram

New Delhi : After rescuing 41 minor girls from an ashram of molestation-accused ‘godman’ Baba Virendra Dev Dixit, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Saturday rescued five more minor girls, kept in “prison-like” confinement by the absconding ‘Baba’ from another ashram here.

With Saturday’s operation at the Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya in Mohan Garden of Dwarka, the number of girls rescued from different ashrams of the fake godman in Rohini and Dwarka reached over 45, reports IANS.

“Just rescued five more girls identified as minors by the CWC (Child Welfare Committee) from Baba’s ashram at Mohan Garden. Same prison like situation here,” Maliwal tweeted.

“Locals informing that many girls were removed earlier yesterday (Friday) morning before our last night visit. Also that they often heard the girls crying at night.”

The DCW team reached the Dwarka ashram late on Friday along with Delhi Police and advocate Ajay Verma and interacted with the 21 inmates.

“Though the High Court had ordered ashram’s lawyer to provide addresses of eight ashrams in Delhi, the details were not provided. The DCW through its own sources ascertained the address of the Ashram at Mohan Garden,” said a DCW statement.

According to the DCW, the girls were being kept under lock and key. There were stacks of medicines and no registers were maintained to record as to where the girls came from and for how long have they been there.

“It was discovered that many girls were undergoing psychological treatment and had been shifted from Vijay Vihar ashram. It appeared that psychologically ill girls from Vijay Vihar Ashram were often shifted here,” it added.