advertisement
The police on Thursday, 21 November, arrested the principal of Delhi Public School (DPS) in Gujarat for violating government norms while leasing out land to controversial self-styled godman Swami Nithyananda for his ashram.
Hitesh Puri, Principal of the Delhi Public School (East), located at Hirapur village on Ahmedabad's outskirts, ignored the collector’s notification related to the matter, the police said.
School authorities failed to produce documents pertaining to informing police after leasing out land for the ashram of the controversial guru, who has been booked in a criminal case in the city, the police said.
Puri was arrested and charged under IPC section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and later released on bail, a police official said.
K T Kamariya, DySP (Ahmedabad rural), said:
Meanwhile, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has sought a report from the Gujarat Education department on how land of a school was leased out to self-styled godman Nithyananda's ashram in Ahmedabad without its permission, officials said on Thursday, 21 November.
The CBSE directive came on a day when the Gujarat Police informed that Nithyananda, booked in a criminal case related to his ashram, has fled the country.
A senior CBSE official said:
The school's principal Hitesh Puri, when contacted before his arrest said, "we have terminated the lease agreement." He, however, did not comment on whether permission was sought from the board before leasing out the land.
An FIR was registered against Nithyananda on Wednesday, 20 November, on charges of alleged kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children to make them collect donations from followers to run his ashram.
Ahmedabad (Rural) Superintendent of Police R V Asari said Nithyananda has fled abroad, and if required, the Gujarat police will seek his custody through proper channel.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)