HC sets up panel under Kiran Bedi to look into women's ashram in city
new delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday formed a committee under the supervision of retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi to monitor the welfare and protection of rights of women living in an ashram founded by self-styled spiritual preacher Virender Dev Dixit. A bench of headed by Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi, which was hearing pleas concerning the state of affairs at the Adhyatmik Vidhyalaya in Rohini, said the institution will be free to pursue its religious and spiritual practices, and the committee will ensure no woman inmate or child, if any, in the ashram is subjected to treatment that is in breach of their fundamental or legal rights.
The district judge concerned will be the committee's chairperson and the local district magistrate, the deputy commissioner of police (crime against women cell), the district legal service authority's secretary, a nominee of the DCW and the woman and child development department's district officer will be its members, it ordered. "The functioning of the committee shall be supervised by Kiran Bedi… The committee shall function to see and ensure that no woman inmate or child if any in respondent institution is subjected to any such treatment which may tantamount to breach of their fundamental or other legal right," the bench, also comprising Justice Navin Chawla, said. "At the same time, we make it clear that the institution shall be free to pursue its religious and spiritual practices provided none of them infringe any fundamental and other rights of any inmate or any other person," it said.
The court had earlier expressed its shock over the management of the ashram which was housing several women who were stated to be living in "animal-like condition".
It had opined that it should be taken over by the Delhi government and also sought a monthly report from the committee, and said the government shall provide the necessary assistance to facilitate its functioning.
The court had earlier expressed its shock over the management of the ashram which was housing several women who were stated to be living in "animal-like condition".
It had opined that it should be taken over by the Delhi government and also sought a monthly report from the committee, and said the government shall provide the necessary assistance to facilitate its functioning.
She asked the court to set up a similar committee for the entire city and placed before it certain suggestions to ensure that the fundamental and legal rights of women and children living in such institutions are not violated. "We are of the view that a committee should be constituted so as to keep a close watch of the welfare of inmates of respondent no. 6 institution, who are all stated to be women above 18 years," the court stated.
The court directed the Delhi government to ensure compliance of the Women's and Children's Institution (Licencing) Act and asked it as well as the Centre to examine the suggestions made by the DCW. It also said that the committee will have access to the institute, be given the record with respect to the inmates and may take assistance of medical professionals and other experts to make an assessment on the well-being of the inmates.
