Children in Nithyananda Ashram produced before the Gujarat High Court

In yet ar hearing of Nithyananda case, re are four more parents who have come forward and filed Habeas Corpuses and stated ir grievances that Gujarat Police is keeping children against ir will and t letting children also meet ir parents. parents and children were as follows - Girish Turlapati far of Natanga Turlapati (14), Satish Selvakumar far of Prisha Satish(16), Anil Kumar far of Bhuvan Pallav (17), Mani Ramalingam far of Ashwath Mani (17). 

In se habeas Corpora, petitioner claims that 'Gurukul has become a war zone. What is need for so much police in a place of education?' Also that children are kept against ir will in ashram premises. 

When matter came to hearing in High Court, judge said that mirs who are in ashram will have to be produced in court so that it can be understood that children are t kept against ir will. children and investigating officer need to be called to court and ir statements will be recorded before court of law. When parents were called, court individually asked all of children on wher y wanted to live with parents or in ashram. To this, children replied that y indeed wanted to live in ashram. 

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judge enquired that since ults (both sahvis) and in-charge of ashram were in police custody, who was taking care of children in Ashram. re were several ashram volunteers who were present in court and said that y are temporary custodians of children. court, t convinced, said that re needs to be a child welfare committee official and a ly official present at ashram at all times.

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petitioners also stated ir grievance that children h been interrogated in an abusive manner and that re were obscene videos that were shown to children by police officers. That, police officers h been abusing children and were saying 'if you continue to be in ashram, you will be raped.' 

To this, judge stated, "We all have to bear with police investigation, but it is of utmost importance to this court that children are t traumatized. Investigation shall t be thwarted or hampered for anything and if interrogation of children needs to be done - it needs to be done in a legal manner. y should t be traumatized", judge said. 

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court told public prosecutor representing Gujarat police, that y (parents) can be frisked before entering and full checking can be done but you can't prevent parents to meet children. Also that parents can t be present during taking statements of children (since y are witnesses in case), and that ' shelter to parents behind ir children'. 

In end, court also stated that re needed to be a CWC official and a ly officer also present during statement recording of children. While written order was reserved for tomorrow, judge stated that parents' comings and goings will be recorded and y will be checked before entering premises under investigation. 

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Lastly, judge said, 'court is t concerned with criminal investigation. Primarily it looks like ne of children are kept against ir will. Police will allow parents to visit children from tomorrow.'

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