The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday issued notices to self-styled godman Swami Nithyananda and the State Government on a plea filed by a man seeking custody of his two daughters “detained” at an ashram run here by the controversial guru.
A division bench of justices SR Brahmbhatt and VP Patel issued notices to the respondents, including the State Government, DGP, police officers concerned, child welfare committee chairman as well as Nithyananda and Maa Pranpriya, the co-ordinator of Ahmedabad-based ashram.
The petitioner, Janardhana Sharma, alleged that officials of the ashram — Yogini Sarvagyapeetham — were not allowing him and his wife to meet their two daughters staying there. Sharma said the police recently managed to rescue their two other daughters, both minors, lodged in the same ashram. While police rescued his minor daughters, his two elder daughters — Lopamudra (21) and Nandhitha Sharma (18) — were still under “detention” at the ashram and not being allowed to meet their parents, Sharma has said in his “habeas corpus” petition.
A habeas corpus plea is a petition which is filed to ensure a person under arrest is brought before a court which will determine whether the detention is legal. The petitioner has requested the high court to direct police and other authorities to produce their elder daughters, who he alleged are being kept under “illegal confinement”, before the court and hand them over to their parents. Apart from seeking their custody, the petitioner has also sought the HC’s direction for an inquiry regarding all other minors kept at the ashram and appropriate action against the swami and his disciples, if required.