The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Police to initiate a formal probe into the disappearance of a young woman residing at the Adhyatmik Vidhyalya ashram in Rohini, Delhi. The decision, handed down on August 24, 2026, by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, follows a petition filed by the woman's parents (Dumpala Meenavathi and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors.) alleging illegal detention, severe health deterioration, and substance abuse at the institution.
Background of the Proceedings
The petitioners moved the High Court after expressing grave concern over their daughter's health and liberty. According to the parents, the ashram’s management initially barred them from communicating with their daughter. Following persistent attempts, a video call was eventually facilitated, during which the parents observed that their daughter appeared undernourished, physically frail, and exhibited signs of severe physical distress, including blackened gums. They alleged that her condition was the direct result of forced drug administration within the institution and requested that the court order a comprehensive medical examination at a government facility to ascertain if she had been administered narcotics or psychotropic substances.
During court proceedings, two representatives associated with the ashram claimed that the woman was no longer living on the premises. However, they admitted that her personal belongings, clothing, and luggage remained stored inside the institution.
The court took serious note of this contradiction, expressing concern over how an inmate could be unaccounted for while her personal possessions remained inside the facility.
Judicial Directives to Law Enforcement
Taking note of the suspicious circumstances surrounding the woman's absence, the Division Bench issued specific directions to local authorities:
- Registration of Missing Person Case: The High Court ordered the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Vijay Vihar Police Station to immediately register a missing person report regarding the missing woman.
- Comprehensive Investigation: The Delhi Police were tasked with conducting a thorough search to determine her exact whereabouts and assess her well-being.
- Personal Appearance Mandate: The court instructed the SHO of the Vijay Vihar Police Station to appear in person before the bench at the subsequent hearing scheduled for August 31, 2026, to submit a status report on the preliminary findings of the investigation.
Institutional Oversight and Management Probe
Beyond the immediate search for the missing inmate, the High Court raised broader questions concerning the legal and administrative standing of the Adhyatmik Vidhyalya ashram.
The institution was founded by self-styled spiritual leader Virender Dev Dixit, who had been absconding for several years while facing multiple criminal charges, including allegations of sexual assault and unlawful confinement. During the hearing, a Special Public Prosecutor representing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informed the court that Dixit had recently passed away.
Following this disclosure, the bench noted that there was no clarity regarding who currently controls the operational management, administrative oversight, or financial structures of the institution. The court observed that spiritual or religious establishments cannot operate without clear accountability or outside the framework of public order and statutory regulation.
The bench remarked:
"Courts cannot interfere with their activities provided they are not disturbing the public order. That is the only test. But nobody can be left unaccountable. The peers of the ashram cannot be left unaccountable. Somebody should be there and, if nobody comes forward, the State will take it over."
Consequently, the court expanded the scope of the inquiry to include:
- Administrative Structure: Investigating who currently manages and executes operational decisions within the Rohini facility following the founder's death.
- Financial Sources: Probing the sources of funding and financial flows that sustain the ashram's daily operations.
- State Regulation: Requesting responses regarding how state authorities regulate such residential spiritual establishments under existing statutory frameworks.
History of Legal Actions Against the Institution
The Adhyatmik Vidhyalya facility in Rohini has been the subject of judicial scrutiny since 2017, when initial petitions were brought before the Delhi High Court alleging systemic exploitation, psychological manipulation, and illegal confinement of women and minor girls.
In subsequent proceedings in 2022, a court-appointed high-powered committee conducted on-site inspections at various branches of the institution. The committee's report highlighted severe overcrowding, lack of basic privacy, and sub-standard living conditions. These findings subsequently led to direct oversight by federal agencies, including a CBI investigation initiated under the court's direction in May 2023.
The current petition asserts that despite years of judicial oversight and regulatory interventions, the institution has continued its operations without adequate transparency, prompting the court to reiterate that statutory standards and public accountability must be enforced.
The matter remains pending, with the Delhi High Court set to review the police status report and examine the administrative framework of the ashram on August 31, 2026.
Discription: The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Police to investigate the disappearance of a young woman from the Adhyatmik Vidhyalya ashram in Rohini, Delhi (Dumpala Meenavathi and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors.).
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia ordered the registration of a missing person case after the woman's parents alleged she was illegally confined, malnourished, and subjected to forced drug abuse. While ashram followers claimed she had left, her belongings remained on the premises.
The court expressed grave concerns over the ashram's operational management and funding sources, particularly following news that its founder, absconding criminal accused Virender Dev Dixit, has died. The Station House Officer has been ordered to appear in court with an inquiry status report at the next hearing on August 31, 2026.