Four minor students from Nithyananda’s Gurukul produced in Gujarat HC

PTI, Nov 28, 2019, 9:12 AM IST

Ahmedabad: Four minor students of a `Gurukul’ run by godman Nithyananda were produced before the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday after their parents alleged that they had been held `hostage’ by the police.

The Gurukul-cum-Ashram (a residential school) is situated at Hirapur village on the outskirts of the city.

As the habeas corpus petitions came up for hearing on Wednesday afternoon, Justice S R Brahmbhatt asked police to immediately produce the four students — two boys and two girls.

The four teenage students were produced before the court in the evening.

A habeas corpus petition is filed to obtain a direction from the court to the authorities to produce someone who has gone missing or is suspected to have been held in captivity illegally.

The parents claimed that they were not allowed to meet their children by the Ahmedabad district police, who are probing a complaint filed by another parent that his two daughters were held captive by the Ashram authorities.

The petitioners alleged that their children had been “kept like hostages in the Gurukul” by the police who are investigating the case of missing girls.

They also alleged that police “are showing morphed pornographic material of Nithyananda Swami to the children in order to incite them against him and extract statements against the Gurukul”.

When produced before the court, the four minors said they had no problem in staying at the Gurukul, and they should be allowed to meet their parents.

Passing an interim order, the court asked the police to let the parents meet their children. The judge, however, also said that parents must not create any hindrance in the investigation.

The police stated that they will not stop the parents from meeting their children. The court said it will pronounce its final order on the petitions on Thursday.

Nithyananda, who is facing a case of kidnapping and illegal confinement, has reportedly fled the country, according to the police.