Nithyananda's sadhvis move HC for return

AHMEDABAD: Nithyananda ’s two sadhvis, who are accused of illegally confining children in his ashram, have approached the courts complaining that they are left without shelter in Ahmedabad due to the lockdown and that they should be allowed to go back to Karnataka .

After their arrest as administrators of the ashram at DPS(East) campus in Hathijan following the controversy, Sriharini Chelappan alias Pranpriya and Riddhi Ravikiran alias Priyatatva were granted bail by a sessions court at the Mirzapur rural court campus on February 7.

The bail condition was that they should not leave Ahmedabad without court’s permission during the pendency of the trial.

After the Centre imposed the nationwide lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic, the hotel in the city the duo was staying at was being converted into a Covid care centre. The hotel management put them on notice to vacate their rooms. This led them to move the sessions court urging it to relax the condition that confines them to the state of Gujarat. They have contended that they have been facing multiple problems in Ahmedabad due to the lockdown and pandemic. The courts too are closed and there is little chance of the trial taking place in the near future.

Both disciples of Nithyananda have requested the court to lift the restriction and allow them to go and stay at Nithyananda’s ashram in Bidadi in Karnataka. They have assured the court that they would regularly attend the court proceedings.

Since the court did not take up the applications for hearing, as courts hear only urgent bail applications nowadays, both Pranpriya and Priyatatva approached the high court on Friday for the redressal of their problem. After hearing their pleas, Justice R P Dholaria has ordered the sessions court to hear the applications and take decision on their request within eight days.

In January, Vivekanad Nagar police filed a chargesheet against these two after booking them under Section 365, 344, 323, 504, 506(2) and 114 of the IPC as well as Section 14 of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act.