Nithyananda case: Drama at Ahmedabad-based ashram after video of ‘abducted’ woman’s sister

Drama intensified on Tuesday, when the eldest daughter of the complainant, Lopamudra Sharma, released a video on her Facebook account where she referred to herself as ‘Ma Nithya Tatvapriya Ananda’, defended Nithyananda and claimed that she is in Trinidad with her younger sister, Nanditha.

“I am a major and have full rights according to the Indian laws, but the media is taking a toll on us and more than 40 policemen and lawyers are harassing me, my sister and the Ashram. I am in Trinidad, my sister is with me. I have already contacted the police stating that we have not been kidnapped. Do I look kidnapped to any of you? If you want to talk to me, you can come to Trinidad and Tobago,” Lopamudra can be heard saying in the video.

Police said that they had managed to contact Nanditha through video calling service Skype, however, they failed to confirm her location. RV Asari, Superintendent of Police, Ahmedabad (Rural), said that it could not be confirmed whether Nanditha is in Gujarat or Trinidad, as claimed by her elder sister in the video.

Meanwhile, the District Education Officer (DEO) of Ahmedabad (Rural) has issued a notice to the DPS management asking them to respond within seven days, regarding the status of the 24 children who are part of the Ashram and enrolled in the school.

Tracing the case

Trouble for Nithyananda began on November 1, when Sharma approached the Gujarat State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, claiming that three of his children had been illegally confined and beaten up at the Ahmedabad-based Ashram.

“I enrolled my kids in the Bengaluru-based Ashram of Swami Nithyananda in 2013, and it was only seven to eight months ago that I found that the kids have been moved to the Ahmedabad-based ashram without my knowledge,” Sharma told The Indian Express over the phone.

Following the complaint, a police team along with administration officials reached the Ashram premises and rescued the two minor kids. However, Nanditha was not found in the Ashram during the course of the raid on Saturday.

On Sunday night, an FIR was lodged at Vivekananda Nagar police station against Swami Nithyananda and two of his followers who run the ashram —Ma Priyatattva and Ma Pranpriya — under IPC sections 364, 344, 323, 504 and 506 (2) for abducting, confining, causing hurt, intentionally insulting and criminally intimidating, along with sections of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act. Following the FIR, an SIT was formed which is being headed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

“An SIT team recorded the statements of the accused mentioned in the FIR. We spoke to Nanditha on Skype and she claimed that she has gone ‘outside for some work’ and will return once her work is done. We are trying to track her location. Regarding the eldest daughter of the complainant, she traveled to Trinidad from Bengaluru long back and was not in the Ahmedabad-based Ashram,” said Asari.

Notice to principal

After Delhi Public School failed to provide the necessary documents sought by the Education Department (ED), supporting their claims that the school has nothing to do with the Ashram and that the children at the ashram are students of DPS, DEO (Rural) Rakesh Vyas, on Tuesday, issued a notice to the principal and the management to respond within seven days.

“We have issued them a notice. As the school is claiming that the 24 children at the Ashram are enrolled in the school, we have asked them to provide supporting documents. We are not stopping them to be a part of the Ashram, but not at the cost of their rights. We have sought details of their attendance, examinations taken by them or any extra-curricular activities undertaken by them that shall prove them to be regular school students.” the DEO revealed.

ED officials complained that they had gone to the school thrice since Saturday, but were not provided any supporting documents.

Further, the ED has sought the lease or rent agreement to verify if the school space is rented out to the ashram, and the school building plan on the basis of which it has been provided recognition from the state government. “We have also sought documents from the school to verify whether the ashram area is adjoining or within the school premises,” added Vyas.

Jatin Gandhi, the lawyer representing the Ashram, was unavailable for comment despite repeated calls and messages.