‘Save my daughter from the ‘Baba’, they have hypnotised her’, a Rajasthan father’s plea

By Archana Sharma

Jaipur, Dec 25 (IANS) A farmer in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, has been struggling hard to free his daughter from the fortified walls of molestation-accused 'godman' Baba Virendra Dev Dixit's Ashram in Delhi.

The girl, named Tika, went missing from her house on November 9, 2017. The family alleges that one Anand who was from Pilani and who works as an "agent" brought the girl to the Delhi ashram in Vijay Vihar.

On the basis of an FIR lodged, a search warrant was issued on November 24, and Rajasthan Police came to Delhi to bring the girl back. However, Delhi Police allegedly made the team return on the ground that the warrant was not applicable in Delhi.

A second warrant was issued and the Rajasthan Police was again in Delhi. This warrant clearly said that the girl should be produced in the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) court and the police should work to bring her out. However, the girl could not be brought out from the clutches of the ashram.

The hapless father, Vijay Singh, speaking to IANS, said that when the Rajasthan Police went for the second time to Delhi with a new search warrant they were kept waiting for two days to meet his daughter.

This time again, police teams from Delhi and Mandrella, in Jhunjhunu, went inside the ashram, met the girl and came out saying she doesn't want to return.

According to the norms, once search warrants are issued, the person has to be produced in the SDM court where his/her statements are taken. Despite the second warrant being sanctioned by the Delhi-based SDM, the warrant rules were not followed.

The father complained that both times "norms were flouted as my daughter wasn't produced in court either time".

Vijay Singh alleged that his daughter has been "hypnotised, drugged and injected with certain medicines to the extent that her emotional quotient has turned zero. She doesn't reflect any emotions".

"Initially, I and my son, went to meet her. After making us wait for around one and a half hours, my daughter came, along with five more females, and just uttered one sentence, 'I want to be here'. Then she went inside. Her brother told her that her mother is unwell and she misses her a lot, but to no avail," Singh recounted to IANS.

Vijay Singh said his daughter used to visit the Jaipur-situated ashram with her aunt and cousin. "And one fine day, when we started her marriage discussion, she left her house and came to Delhi to the Rohini-situated ashram of Virendra Dev."

The father lodged a missing complaint. However, in the next few days, they received speed post letters from the daughter which were addressed to SP Jhunjhunu. The letter had a sheet attached and said that the girl "had left home on her own wish and will". A mail was also sent to the SP.

"My daughter is not that sharp to do all these things. She has been made to do all these things under someone's influence," the father said.

Even police officials who went with Vijay Singh to the Delhi-based ashram "confirmed that the girls there are being hypnotised", he said.

"When we went to the Delhi ashram, they closed the first door as we entered inside, then they closed the second door, then the third door and so on. When we went inside, there was a circular iron staircase which made me feel as if I am packed in some kind of 'bhoolbhulaiya' (maze)," a senior police official told IANS.

Meanwhile, a senior CBI officer, who is Tika's relative, said that the search warrant clearly said that police officials should go to the ashram, search for the girl and use all their power to bring her to the SDM court. However, since Delhi Police has its own work method, the Rajasthan Police could not work independently to bring the girl out.

Going with the warrant, the girl should have been given police protection and produced in the Surajgarh SDM court," said advocate Satyendra Singh Rathore, who represents the victim's case.

According to senior officials, the girl can "open a can of worms" once she is out.

They confirmed that the girl went missing on November 9. Her phone calls were traced and her phone was found switched off in Rewari. Then they started an inquiry which took them to the Jhotwara-based ashram in Jaipur. A woman constable in mufti went to the ashram and asked for details about other branches. The females gave her a booklet in which the Vijay Vihar address was specified.

Police sources claimed that a Hyderabad-based scientist's daughter is inside for the last 10 years. This girl was in America for many years. Similarly, there are daughters of senior police officials too.

The Jhotwara-situated ashram of Virendra Dev Dixit follows the same parameters as that of his Delhi ashram, which was raided recently.

The ashram with fortified walls, closed doors and windows doesn't allow any outsider to enter inside. Those staying in the neighbourhood can't see what's happening inside.

Police officials reached this ashram on Friday and were surprised to see the closed fortified walls. A police official who had recently been to the Delhi-based ashram said there is a strong resemblance between the two. The five females staying here are in the age group of 22-55.

The Jhotwara ashram is being run on rented accommodation and the rent is paid from Delhi.

The females inside were reluctant to open the door to policemen. Asked why they delayed opening the door, they said that "beheno ki suraksha ke liye darwaze khirkiyan band rakhte hai" (we keep the doors-windows shut for the safety of our sisters).