The Madras High Court in the case Halideen v. Superintendent of Police and others observed wherein it was informed by Gingee Police in Villupuram that inmates of the Anbu Jothi Ashram were being administered psychiatric drugs, chained, and sexually and physically being assaulted by the ashram staff.
A status report has been filed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police which is based on the directions issued by the court earlier.
The bench comprising of Justice M Sundar and Justice Nirmal Kumar in the case observed and seek the report while hearing a Habeas Corpus plea with respect to the missing of a 70-year old inmate Zafirullah from the said Ashram.
The court observed that it was also informed by the Zafirullah who had been transferred to another ashram in Bengaluru which is run by Raja @ Auto Raja. It has also been informed by the Police that the detenue along with 14 others had been escaped from the facility in Bengaluru by breaking the bathroom window and that efforts were also being taken in order to trace him.
The court also informed that during the search and seizure conducted at the ashram, it has been recovered by the police incriminating documents and materials including huge quantity of Psychiatric drugs bearing a seal wherein it is stated that the “Tamil Nadu Government Supply-Not for Sale. Further, it has been though by the source that these drugs were being acquired was however unknown.
The court was also being informed that a case has been registered for offences which includes rioting, wrongful confinement, obscenity, hurt, kidnapping, rape, criminal intimidation and for forging the documents. The offences were also being registered under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act 1998 and Right of Person with Disabilities Act 2016 against the Ashram owners and caretakers.
