Manjula Pooja Shroff summoned by police

The troubles surrounding Manjula Pooja Shroff, CEO and MD of Kalorex Foundation that runs DPS East School, do not seem to be coming to an end any time soon. She has been asked to appear before the police on Monday to give a statement in connection with the alleged kidnapping and confinement of children at Nithyananda ashram that operated illegally on the premises of DPS East School in Hathijan.

The self-styled godman's disciple Amitabh Shah, founder of Yuva Unstoppable who is said to have introduced Manjula to Nithyananda, has also been asked to appear before cops on Monday. Police sources said, "Manjula owns the property on which the ashram was set up. So, she is being called for questioning. Amitabh Shah has been called as he reportedly played an important role in setting up the ashram of the self-styled godman."

Asked whether they have received a communication from police, DPS East OSD Unmesh Dixit confirmed, "We have received an oral communication."

The case came to light in when Janardhana Sharma, a Tamil Nadu native, accused the controversial godman and his disciples of kidnapping his three children - two minors (boy aged 12, girl aged 15) and 19-year-old daughter - from the Bangalore ashram and confining them at their Yogini Sarvajnapeetham ashram in Hathijan.

Taking on Nithyananda and his multi-crore empire, the father got the police to rescue his son, 12, and daughter, 15. However, his elder daughters Nithyananditha (18) aka Nandita and Tatvapriya (21) aka Lopamudra, refused to return home.

Sharma filed an FIR in November following which Nithyananda and two of his acolytes were booked on charges of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children at the ashram. Police also arrested ashram administrators Sadhvi Pranpriyananda and Priyatatva Riddhi Kiran on charges of allegedly kidnapping the kids, keeping them in illegal confinement in a flat and using them as child labourers to promote activities of the ashram to collect donations.

The two sadhvis were granted bail by 'Ahmedabad Rural Court' this Friday. They will be released from prison on Monday. The two have been directed by the court to surrender their passport and not to leave the city.

Meanwhile, stating that the Ahmedabad police have failed to bring back his two major daughters and take action against Nithyananda, Sharma moved a petition in Gujarat High Court on February 4, seeking transfer investigation to the CBI.