Police on Thursday arrested the principal of Delhi Public School (DPS) near Ahmedabad in Gujarat for violating government norms while leasing out land to controversial self-styled godman Swami Nithyananda for his ashram.

Hitesh Puri, Principal of Delhi Public School (East), located at Hirapur village on Ahmedabad’s outskirts, ignored the collectors notification related to the matter, police said.

School authorities failed to produce documents pertaining to informing police after leasing out the land for the ashram of the controversial guru, who has been booked in a criminal case in the city, they 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 We held Puri after the school was found violating a notification issued by the district collector pertaining to owners required to inform the police when leasing out their property on rent.

“The school rented out its property to Nithyananda Ashram without informing the police, DySP (Ahmedabad rural), K T Kamariya said.

“He was held for flouting notification and was granted bail,” he said. The action comes after two co-ordinators of an organisation run by Nithyananda, Yogini Sarvagyapeetham, were arrested on charges of kidnapping, wrongful confinement, assault, among others, after four children enrolled there came out to allege they were being mistreated by the authorities.

Yogini Sarvagyapeetham is situated on the DPS premises.

The development came even as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) sought a report from the Gujarat Education department on how the school’s land was leased out to Nithyanand’s ashram in Ahmedabad without its permission.

Source: PTI