📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Avrajyoti Mitra
Religion
Delhi HC Rejects Parents' Plea to Remove Woman from Spiritual Guru's Ashram
✍️ Amar Ujala · Delhi
🗓 31 Aug 2026, 05:39 PM
👁 134
The Delhi High Court declined a petition filed by a woman's parents seeking to intervene in her decision to stay at the ashram of self‑styled spiritual leader Veerendra Dev Dixit, stating that a competent adult cannot be forced against her will.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition submitted by the parents of a woman who chose to reside in the ashram of Veerendra Dev Dixit, a figure who presents himself as a spiritual guru. The parents argued that their daughter was being held against her will and sought a court order to compel her to leave the premises.
In its judgment, the bench observed that the woman is a competent adult and therefore entitled to make her own decisions regarding residence and association. The court emphasized that no authority can force a grown‑up individual to act contrary to her expressed wishes, underscoring the constitutional guarantee of personal liberty.
The court did not issue any directive to the ashram or its head, merely stating that it could not intervene in the private choice of a lawful adult. The decision reaffirms the judiciary's stance on respecting adult autonomy even in matters involving religious or spiritual organizations.
Legal experts note that while the ruling does not address the broader claims of the ashram’s leadership, it sets a clear precedent that parental concerns alone cannot override an adult's right to decide where to live.
In its judgment, the bench observed that the woman is a competent adult and therefore entitled to make her own decisions regarding residence and association. The court emphasized that no authority can force a grown‑up individual to act contrary to her expressed wishes, underscoring the constitutional guarantee of personal liberty.
The court did not issue any directive to the ashram or its head, merely stating that it could not intervene in the private choice of a lawful adult. The decision reaffirms the judiciary's stance on respecting adult autonomy even in matters involving religious or spiritual organizations.
Legal experts note that while the ruling does not address the broader claims of the ashram’s leadership, it sets a clear precedent that parental concerns alone cannot override an adult's right to decide where to live.