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| Delhi police raid 'spiritual university' and find women behind locked doors | Delhi police raid 'spiritual university' and find women behind locked doors |
| (25 days later) | |
| Women held at compound run by guru appear drugged, with city’s commissioner for women fearful it is a site for sexual exploitation | |
| Michael Safi in Delhi | |
| Thu 21 Dec 2017 13.06 GMT | |
| Last modified on Thu 21 Dec 2017 22.00 GMT | |
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| Police in Delhi have discovered a “spiritual university” in the north-west of the city where inspectors say up to 200 women and girls are being held behind a series of locked doors. | Police in Delhi have discovered a “spiritual university” in the north-west of the city where inspectors say up to 200 women and girls are being held behind a series of locked doors. |
| Conditions inside the building were “shocking”, said Swati Maliwal, the Delhi commissioner for women, who took part in a raid on the four-storey facility this week. | Conditions inside the building were “shocking”, said Swati Maliwal, the Delhi commissioner for women, who took part in a raid on the four-storey facility this week. |
| “It was like a fortress,” Maliwal said. “Once we managed to enter we could only walk four steps to another metallic gate, and then five steps later another huge locked gate. | “It was like a fortress,” Maliwal said. “Once we managed to enter we could only walk four steps to another metallic gate, and then five steps later another huge locked gate. |
| “It was full of hidden cells. The entire structure was built in a maze-like fashion,” she said. | “It was full of hidden cells. The entire structure was built in a maze-like fashion,” she said. |
| Women at the compound appeared dazed and drugged and some remonstrated with police, Maliwal added. | Women at the compound appeared dazed and drugged and some remonstrated with police, Maliwal added. |
| Huge quantities of syringes and drugs were strewn about the facility, which has been operating for about 25 years. | Huge quantities of syringes and drugs were strewn about the facility, which has been operating for about 25 years. |
| Maliwal said she tried one of the liquids being administered to the women and “for two hours I was dizzy”. | Maliwal said she tried one of the liquids being administered to the women and “for two hours I was dizzy”. |
| The Delhi high court ordered the raid on Tuesday in response to a petition by an NGO claiming girls and women were being kept in “animal-like conditions”. | The Delhi high court ordered the raid on Tuesday in response to a petition by an NGO claiming girls and women were being kept in “animal-like conditions”. |
| The NGO helped one girl give evidence before the court claiming she had been raped at the facility before escaping. | The NGO helped one girl give evidence before the court claiming she had been raped at the facility before escaping. |
| Maliwal said she found “stacks of sexually explicit letters” written by women at the ashram to its leader, a self-styled guru named Virender Dev Dixit. Dixit has been summoned to appear before the high court. | Maliwal said she found “stacks of sexually explicit letters” written by women at the ashram to its leader, a self-styled guru named Virender Dev Dixit. Dixit has been summoned to appear before the high court. |
| The court compared the case to that of Ram Rahim Singh, a flamboyant “godman” who was convicted of raping two of his followers in August. | The court compared the case to that of Ram Rahim Singh, a flamboyant “godman” who was convicted of raping two of his followers in August. |
| His conviction sparked riots and arson attacks by some of the thousands of followers who lived with Rahim on a sprawling campus in Haryana state. | His conviction sparked riots and arson attacks by some of the thousands of followers who lived with Rahim on a sprawling campus in Haryana state. |
| Maliwal said she feared similar facilities were being run by the same group across India as sites for sexual exploitation. | Maliwal said she feared similar facilities were being run by the same group across India as sites for sexual exploitation. |
| Many women at the facility were refusing to leave, but efforts were being made to remove girls who appeared to be minors, Maliwal added. | Many women at the facility were refusing to leave, but efforts were being made to remove girls who appeared to be minors, Maliwal added. |
| A staff member at the facility has denied any wrongdoing, telling the Indian Express: “We have written documents from the women which had also been sent to the local police stations in their villages. | A staff member at the facility has denied any wrongdoing, telling the Indian Express: “We have written documents from the women which had also been sent to the local police stations in their villages. |
| “They want to stay here on their own will and are being fed well, and taught yoga and Atharva gyan [Vedic wisdom].” | “They want to stay here on their own will and are being fed well, and taught yoga and Atharva gyan [Vedic wisdom].” |
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