Ahmedabad: The two sisters and disciple of controversial god-man Swami Nityanand, for whose production in court their father has approached the Gujarat high court, today issued another video presumably from a Caribbean country and claimed that they were ready to come to India provided they were allowed to return under court protection.

The eldest daughter of ex-disciple of Nityananda, Jananrdan Sarma of Tamilnadu-who has now reached Gujarat high court alleging that his daughters have been kidnapped by the Ashram and taken abroad, Lopa Mudra and the one younger to her, Nityanandita issued the video and called for an open debate on the issue.

Nityanadita who had dodged the police and other authorities reportedly to move out of India from the Ashram here, even alleged that his father (in the video she continuously addressed his father rudely by his first name as Janardan) had tried to blackmail her earlier to file a rape case under Pocso Act against Nityanand. ‘Swamji (Nityanand) had not only reared four of us (3 sisters and 1 brother) as his child but also taken care of Janardan and Bhuvaneshwari (parents) in similar manner.

Lopa Mudra who looked along with her sister in the latest video said that they were willing to come to India for appearing before the Gujarat high court on November 26, the next date of hearing in the habeas corpus case . She put forth five conditions for it. 1. They should be given police protection and court till their return. 2. They should not be ‘kidnapped’ by their family. 3. They should not be arrested. 4. The court should not order us about with whom should we live as we both are major. 5. The two ladies of the Ashram including its local care-taker Pranpriya, who have been arrested by the police should be released.

Meanwhile the father of the duo, Sarma reiterated his allegations that the Ashram people have kidnapped his two daughters.

‘How could my daughter Nityanadita who was just 18 years old when she had arrived in Ahmedabad just 8 months back, has managed to go out of the country. Who has arranged all the money and the Visa for her travel. I also want to understand as to what kind of spiritual training my daughters are getting from the Ashram people that they are calling their own parents kidnappers ,’ he said.

Police on the other hand said that the cyber cell of the crime branch was trying to track the location of the two sisters but was unable to get it as they were constantly using a proxy network for the same. ‘We have also contacted the Emigration department to confirm whether Nityanadita had gone abroad or not but it has not yet been confirmed. We also apprehend that she might have used a dummy passport or else she was hiding in India itself. We are also currently unaware of the whereabouts of Nityananda. All this is being investigated,’ DySP K T Kamaria told newsmen today.

Amid hullabaloo over the alleged ‘disappearance’ of the two girls and misbehaviour with minor children in his Ashram and the school operated by it in Hathijan area here close to DPS, the police investigation was now focused on the complaint regarding ill-treatment with the two minor children of the disciple. The two young and major daughters of the Tamilnadu based disciple of Nityanad, Janardan Sarma, the eldest Lopa Mudra (21) who had gone abroad from Bengaluru Ashram while the other Nityanadita (19) have also expressed their unwillingness to join their parents.

Now the police’s investigation is based on the complaint filed by their father regarding the misbehaviour with his minor third daughter and a son in the Ashram school here. . Ashram care taker Pranpriya and her aide Priyatatwa have been arrested and taken on remand for further investigation.

The Gujarat High Court had two day back issued notices to the Ashram and the police on the habeaus corpus petition filed by Sarma for physical production of his two young daughters. The next date of hearing has been fixed for November 26.

Lopa Mudra, the eldest daughter who had earlier alleged that his father had done embezzlement of Ashram money, had issued a video claiming that she was an adult and was free to take her decisions. Sarma’s advocate Priyesh Shah 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 god-man Nityanada had broken his silence and issued a video on the social media three days ago in which he attacked the media in veiled way and somewhat shrewdly praised the disciples of Gujarat. Police today said that he would also be contacted and if the need be arrested.

Notably, amid the ongoing ‘high-voltage’ drama police today again visited the spot ie Swami Nityanad’s Sarvjnapeetham Ashram, which operated 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 arrested Ashram care taker and her associate Priya Tatwa were also taken to these places for investigation. The lady care taker of the Ashram Sanyasini Pranpriya had earlier said that it was a case of family dispute due to which the Ashram and school were being defamed.

Police 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 the three daughters. ‘During initial Inquiry it was 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,’ a police officer had said.

‘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’, Sarma had earlier said.

The whole episode had 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.

Amid growing criticism for handing over its land to the Ashram, the DPS school which is facing a probe in this regard had two days back claimed that it had cancelled the lease. Principal Hitesh Puri who was arrested yesterday only to be released on bail later, had earlier said that the lease done for five years in June this year had been cancelled. ‘We had given the lease to the Ashram for educational purposes but in the wake of the recent developments we have decided to cancel it,’ he had told newsmen yesterday. Ahmedabad district collector however said that a probe regarding the lease and other related issues has been ordered. The student wing of Congress NSUI today held demonstration in the DEO office here demanding cancellation of the affiliation of the DPS for the alleged irregularity in leasing out land to an outfit which was involved in superstitious practices.

DySP Kamaria today said that the thorough investigation of the seized laptops, mobile phones and tablets from the Ashram here would be done to find any evidence supporting the allegations that small children were forced to dance in the Ashram.

DeshGujarat