New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation has declared a reward of Rs 5 lakh to trace 77-year-old preacher Virendra Dev Dixit who has been accused of sexually assaulting women in his ashram. The agency claimed Dixit has been absconding and has not refused to join its investigation despite being served summons.
The agency has urged citizens to share any information with it on phone 011-24368657, fax 01124368662 and email [email protected], which can lead to his arrest, CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said. He said the identity of the person providing information will be kept secret.
Dixit has been absconding since the Delhi Police started investigating the case. The agency had filed its chargesheet in October last year. The Delhi Police had filed three FIRs — in January, November and December of 2017 — against him. The CBI said it has sent teams to different locations where Dixit has ashrams, but he is yet to come forward.
"The agency has informed that Dixit is absconding and has not joined investigation and efforts are being made to trace him in Nepal," a High Court bench had said in March last year.
The CBI had twice issued a lookout circular against him, with the second being issued as recently as in February this year. The first notice was issued in January last year. In March last year, the then issued a blue-corner notice to locate him in Nepal as Dixit has an ashram there.
The CBI had taken over the cases after the Delhi high court's orders in December 2017. Talking about the developments, an officer said the agency had filed a chargesheet against 59 accused on October 3 last year.
The Delhi Police, during the investigation, had raided his Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalaya in Rohini area and had rescued several women.
A group of parents had filed a number of complaints against Dixit, claiming that he was sexually exploiting minor girls in his ashram. Authorities then raided the ashram and found that the girls were kept in inhumane conditions. They were confined to small rooms with no sunlight and metal bars blocking the exit.
The investigation in the other two cases is still underway.
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