Three cases registered by CBI against godman Virendra Dixit

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday registered three cases against self-styled godman Virendra Dev Dixit, after underage girls were found to be under confinement in his ashram in north west Delhi's Rohini.

Acting on the orders of the Delhi High Court, the investigating agency has also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.

Sources said CBI has registered the three cases on the orders of the High Court and has taken over the investigation of these cases.

The first of these cases was registered at Vijay Vihar police station in Rohini on January 19, 2017, under sections 376(2)(N), 506, 344 and 34 of the IPC against a private person for alleged rape, criminal intimidation and wrongful confinement.

The second case, dated November 12, 2017, was registered under sections 376(2)(N) and 506 of the IPC for alleged rape and criminal intimidation.

The third case, dated December 19, 2017, was registered under sections 186, 353, 332, 342 and 34 of the IPC for alleged assault, wrongful confinement, voluntarily causing hurt and obstruction of duty on the members of High Court appointed committee.

"CBI has also constituted a SIT in the matter relating to Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidhyalaya Ashram, Rohini, on the orders of Delhi High Court. Further investigation is in progress," said a senior CBI official.

Delhi Commission for Women, along with Delhi Police and a group of lawyers, had inspected the Rohini ashram, from where several girls were rescued.

DCW Chairperson Swati Jai Hind had earlier claimed that the Commission had requested the High Court to inspect other ashrams run by Dixit, after which it was ordered that the Commission, along with Delhi Police and two senior lawyers will carry the inspections.

"We came to know about eight ashrams which can be in Delhi. We also suspect that suspicious things will be removed from them," said the DCW chief.

Coordinated work by Delhi Police, DCW and the lawyers resulted in 41 minors being rescued in December last year.

Jai Hind had earlier claimed that the ashram in Rohini had metal gates at every 10 metres and the roof was fortified with barbed wire to prevent the girls from escaping.