Will Mr. Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya Regret His Support?

Persons with the description pointing to Matriprasad, Nirmal Swain and Devdip Ganguly, were seen coming out of Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya’s chamber on 13.10.2014 before the court-sitting.  If it is true why did such a meeting take place?

On 16.10.2014 Nirmal was spotted in the Supreme Court premises. Are there more pending cases relating to the Ashram other than (1) writ filed by Dr. Gayatri Sathapathy, (2) writ filed by Ramanathan and others, and (3) contempt filed against the five inmate-sisters?

Why is Nirmal Swain, accompanied by the two others, definitely Matriprasad, still hanging in and around Supreme Court? What mischief are they up to now? Are they trying to revoke the ban imposed by the Government on the denigrating book “The Lives of Sri Aurobindo” to continue their open support of Peter Heehs and rename ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram’ as ‘Sri Sri Sri Peter Heehs Aphrodisiac Resort’? Or are there more little known cases against the trustees of Ashram challenging their ever-increasing mismanagement?

As it is, contrary to the claim of the Ashram trustees, a huge number of cases are currently pending before various High Court across the country and before the Supreme Court. And apparently the trustees prefer if the number of cases is on the rise because only then can they truly enjoy their favorite pastime – ‘inmate baiting’. Unfortunately the Ashram trustees forget that they represent and head a spiritual institution and behave worse than normal power-hungry men. Since these trustees take refuge behind the sacred names of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother ultimately we poor inmates face the brunt of it.

It is high time that at least proper rules and regulation for the administration of the Ashram be prepared and proper bye-laws incorporated in the Trust Deed and in the meantime the present unethical trustees be suspended as hastily as possible to curb and stop useless expenditures in frivolous cases.

Thank You Dr. Girija Vyas-ji

We wish to gratefully thank the following stalwarts for helping us and giving us some relief at least. How these people in authority helped us in spite of adverse pressure is truly noteworthy. 

1. Dr. Girija Vyas, (ex-Chairperson of NCW, New Delhi and presently MP)
2. Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman (present Cabinet Minister)
3. Mrs. Devi Matthews (ex-Director of DWCD, Pondicherry)
4. Mrs. Meena (ex- Deputy Director of DWCD, Pondicherry)
5. Mr. T.M. Balakrishnan, I.A.S. (ex-Secretary (Welfare), Pondicherry)
6. Mr. Vasanthakumar, I.A.S. (ex Sub-Divisional Magistrate cum Deputy Collector at Pondicherry)
7. Mr. Vijaykumar Bidhuri, I.A.S. (ex Sub-Divisional Magistrate cum Deputy Collector at Pondicherry)
8. Mr. Ashokan (Assisting Mr. Vasanthakumar and Mr. V. Bidhuri)

Since May 2004 all the five sisters, one after another, began facing degrading, humiliating and traumatic sexual harassment at the hands of trustees' henchmen. Our sexual harassment was masterminded by Nirmal Swain, an inmate-lawyer who got his law degree through dubious means having completed a 3 years course of law in 6 years. He was the gang-leader of the group comprising mainly of his father Bhagawan Das Swain, Krishna Chandra (who assaulted Jayashree), Girish Panda, Santosh Nayak, Shakar @ Sajjal Mitra, Chandramani Patel (who tried to molest Arunashri), Jagabandhu Rout (who I am now told was instrumental in drawing the pornographic cartoons sent to us) and the girl-friends of all these men.

Arunashri and Jayashree gave complaints to Mr. Bhaktavachalam and Mr. Udaybhaskar, (President and Secretary of Bar Association at Pondicherry and both of whom were then representing the Ashram Trustees in Hemlata's criminal case). Our complaints and requests to stop the sexual harassment, though these lawyers, fell on the deaf and sadistic trustees.

We sisters were constrained to meet personally the trustees during their Trust Board meeting on 26.07.2004 and voice our complaint. The trustees openly sided with these men and literally called us names. Their stance exposed their collusion to the sexual harassment faced by us. (See posting dated 26.07.2004)

However on 03.08.2004 when Chandramani Patel tried to molest Arunashri, we got really scared and started giving out written complaints to various authorities who could help us.

1. On 04.08.2004 complaint to Manoj Das Gupta, Managing Trustee of Ashram
2. On 05.08.2004 complaint to Pondicherry Police
3. On 06.08.2004 complaint to National Commission for Women

The then NCW Chairperson Mrs. Poornima Advani, hands over our case to the then newly appointed Chairperson Mrs. S. Kamalini of SWC. We were relieved that at last we are going to get justice only to be thoroughly disillusioned. Without conducting any enquiry, on 19.01.2005, Mrs. Advani and Mrs. Kamalini gave statements to the effect that a report had been given by SCW to NCW finding our complaints of sexual harassment to be false. But they also gave a most revealing direction through the newspapers that men and women in the Ashram should be segregated. (See postings dated 06.10.2004 and 20.01.2005).

In spite of our written request no copy of the alleged report was furnished to us by Mrs. Kamalini (SWC). By then through the devious manipulations of the trustees, an impugned report had been created by them through the most appropriately initiated and conducted enquiry proceedings. Based on this impugned report trustees were trying to expel the five sisters. We were constrained to approach NCW and NHRC (National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi) in the first week of April 2005.

Luckily for us Dr. Girija Vyas had replaced Mrs. Poornima Advani. We met Dr. Girija Vyas (M.P.) and Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman (present cabinet minister) both of whom were genuinely concerned for our welfare. In spite of their thorough search they were unable to unearth the report as reported on 19.01.2005 by Mrs. Poornima Advani and Mrs. Kamalini. So Dr. Girija Vyas reopened our case through the Department of Women and Child Development, Pondicherry (DWCD). This enquiry is still pending with the Pondicherry Government. (See postings dated 19.03.2007, 06.08.2008)

Because of Dr. Girija Vyas, at the first instance, later with the help and concern of all the above-named persons, we have managed to sustain our dignity to a very great extent. All of us thank these upright persons once again for all the help that they have extended towards our welfare.

Accused Trustees Acquitted – Transparent Foul Play

For about three years trial in criminal case has gone on and it is now posted for orders. However, days before orders could be passed Mr. Swarnam Natarajan, Magistrate of JM I, Pondicherry, has visited the Ashram with Matripasad and others. In fact he has just got married and Matriprasad and some trustees attended the reception so we were told by some invitees. So we know that Mr. S. Natarajan has been compromised. On 17.11.2004 letters written by ashramites Nirmal Swain, Saumya Bableswar and one local called Krishnan were published by  ‘The Hindu’ to the effect that no criminal cases are pending against the trustees of Ashram. We are absolutely sure of the outcome of the criminal case.

On 18.11.2004 two criminal cases are posted for hearing. My criminal gets adjourned to 23.11.2004. In Mr. PP Raghavachary’s (who was intially trustees’ lawyer) criminal case filed against the trustees for housebreaking, illegal trespass etc, accused trustees are supposed to appear and so the court premises is packed with media and reporters, in spite of the wrong information given by ‘The Hindu’.

Then on 23.11.2004 Jayashree and myself were present in the court in the morning. Mr. Swarnam Natarajan makes a huge show of rendering justice. He told the accused trustees to settle the matter out of court with me and report settlement by the same afternoon otherwise he will punish them. Case gets posted to the afternoon. In the afternoon Mr. Cyril Vincent, our lawyer, Jayashree and myself were present. When my case was called Mr. Swarnam Natarajan pretended as if no directions were given in the morning and simply acquitted all the accused in my case.

A complete volte-face. Why? Rumor has it he received his second dowry from the trustees, reaching comfortably into 7 zeroes.

Illegal Service of Notice

I filed O.S. No.668/2002 on 14.11.2002 challenging Mr. N.P.K. Menon’s impugned undated report. And today I can say that my apprehensions have proved right.

Together with O.S. No.668/2002 I filed an interim petition in I.A. No.2937/2002 for interim injunction to restrain the trustees from taking any action based on the perverse report of Mr. Menon. Injunction has been granted and status quo has been directed as an inmate of the Ashram.

But the trustees have to act in their highhanded manner to maintain their un-slackened track record of harassment. So Matriprasad and Nirmal Swain got hold of two probationers and pasted a backdated show cause notice on my door at Ambabhiskhu House, knowing fully well that O.S. No.668/2002 has been filed and exparte interim injunction of status quo has been granted through I.A. No.2937/2002. 

This was done simply to intimidate and harass me and humiliate my family.