Ahmedabad: Amid hullabaloo over the alleged ‘disappearance’ of two young daughters of a former disciple of the controversial god-man Swami Nityanand and irregularities in his Ashram and the school operated by it here, police today categorically said that its investigation was now focused only on the complaint regarding misbehaviour with the two minor children of the disciple.

Rural Ahmedabad SP R V Asari said that of the two young daughters of the Tamilnadu based disciple of Nityanad, Janardan Sarma, the eldest Lopa Mudra (21) had gone abroad from Bengaluru Ashram while the other Nityanadita (19), associated with the Ashram here, has also expressed her unwillingness to join her parents.

‘We can’t force the two adult daughters to do anything. Now the police investigation is based on the complaint filed by their father regarding the misbehaviour with his minor third daughter and his son rescued from the Ashram school here. We would also contact Nityanad in the course of investigation. As per our current information the controversial god-man was earlier also named in criminal cases in South India and his whereabouts are also not known,’ the SP said.

He also clarified that no Special Investigation Team or SIT has been formed in the Ashram related matter here and it was team of the district police officials and personnel which was doing the investigation,

Asari said that Nityanadita has said that she was out of station and would come to meet the police at a convenient time. ‘We can’t force her,’ he repeated.

Meanwhile the Gujarat High Court was likely to hear the habeaus corpus petition filed by Sarma for physical production of his two young daughters. Lopa Mudra, the eldest daughter who had alleged that his father has done embezzlement of Ashram money, today again issued a video claiming that she was an adult and was free to take her decisions. She was not associated with the Ashram now.

Sarma on the other hand alleged that the girls were used to dressup in a particular way and compelled to dance in the Ashram. His advocate said that the two should be produced before the court as there was apprehension that they have been kept under captivity by the Ashram people and the videos issued by them might have been issued under pressure.

Controversial godman Nityanada broke his silence and issued a video on the social media in which he attacked the media in veiled way and somewhat shrewdly praised the disciples of Gujarat.

Notably, amid the ongoing ‘high-voltage’ drama police today again visited the spot ie Swami Nityanad’s Sarvjnapeetham Ashram, which operates a residential school, here and also visited a nearby residential area where some of those associated with the Ashram including Nityanadita used to live.

The lady care taker of the Ashram Sanyasini Pranpriya had yesterday said that it was a case of family dispute due to which the Ashram and school were being defamed.

DySP S H Sarada said that on November 1 this month, Sarma, had approached the police claiming that the school and the ashram administration has forcefully kept all four of his children including three girls. ‘During initial Inquiry we found that two of the girls of Sarma who were adult and associated with the Ashram since long, are not willing to part ways with it and go with their parents. One of the them, the eldest one Lopamundra is living abroad for the past 3 years. The second one Nityanadita (19), has also willingly chosen to remain with the Ashram. She had earlier given her written statement to the police in this regard. Two of the other children of Sarma including 14 year old third daughter and 12 year old son have been handed over to the parents after they showed willingness to return home with them,’ Sarda said.

Meanwhile Sarma yesterday approached the high court with a habeas corpus writ requesting the court to order the Ashram management to physically produce his two daughters.
‘I am here for so many days to meet my daughters but could not do so. I had to approach police but could not meet my daughters. The eldest one is at some other place but the second one is here somewhere yet I am unable to meet her. I have to take shelter of the court’, he had said.

The whole episode has taken a nasty turn with the two young daughters addressing the media over video calls and dressed in saffron robes yet wearing designer ear-rings, made very serious allegations against their own parents. The eldest one had alleged that her father had done embezzlement of a huge some of Ashram money. They youngest one about whose whereabouts no one including the police is sure, claimed that her mother Bhuwaneshwari was in to an illicit relationship with another man.

DeshGujarat