Shocking Coincidence

Just to put on record for the benefit of those who have willingly chosen to remain blindfolded or have been gullibly hoodwinked.

The coincidence of the admitted assault on Jayashree and Hemlata’s alleged pregnancy is nothing less than shocking. Jayashree was assaulted on 09/01/2001. Trustees declared Hemlata to be 6-7 months pregnant on 10/01/2001, within 24 hours. What prevented the trustees to issue her any show-cause notice and conduct an enquiry in January 2001 itself for violating the rule of the Ashram?

• -          Tresor Nursing Home is a personal and private nursing home of Chitra Sen on the property belonging to the Ashram.
• -          A record of every ashramite who visits the premises is maintained and submitted to Chitra Sen who submits it to Dr. Dilip Kumar Dutta, in charge of all the medical facilities in the Ashram.
• -          So even if I had been accused of destroying the so-called “evidence”, why did Dr. Dilip Kumar Dutta fail to produce the copy of the report which should have been submitted by Chitra Sen?
• -          How did Dr. Dilip Kumar Dutta, being a senior doctor, miss this advance stage of Hemlata’s alleged pregnancy when she was meeting him on a daily basis for demanding justice for Jayashree’s assault?
• -          When the trustees accused Hemlata of being 6-7 months pregnant, they did not need any medical certification required to confirm it, a profile photo would have done the trick. In her small frame of body where was she supposed to hide this advance stage of pregnancy! How come it went unnoticed even by the married women and mothers in her department at “Embroidery Department”!
• -          When a medical document is stolen or destroyed in a nursing home, its management reports it to the police. What stopped Chitra Sen to lodge a police complaint against me and why didn’t the Ashram trustees issue me a show cause notice with regard to this incident? But this most important question still remains unanswered for obvious reasons, there was no pregnancy and therefore no destruction of medical evidence.

The fact is that the trustees were scared by the threat of the supporters of Krishna Chandra who had said that they would do a mass walkout of the Ashram Dining Room if any disciplinary action was taken against Krishna Chandra. So to suppress, confuse, mislead and misrepresent the incident of the assault on Jayashree, the trustees and their henchmen started the rumor about Hemlata’s alleged pregnancy.

Krishna Belliappa, who volunteered for causing Hemlata’s alleged pregnancy and as stated by the trustees, was never expelled from the Ashram. In fact in Menon’s enquiry (third enquiry by trustees’ count) he was examined as trustees’ witness and declared that he was not responsible for the alleged pregnancy. He not only enjoys till date all the facilities and amenities provided by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, he has been bestowed with power, position, money and women.

The two Krishnas were and are still being patronized by the trustees, since the trustees themselves are all aspiring to become Krishnas and being constantly entertained by the willing gopis of the Ashram. Therefore from April 2001, since we sisters revolted against this system of entertainment, the vindictive trustees have left no stone unturned to harass, victimize, falsely accuse us, defame us and overall make our lives thoroughly miserable and unlivable. What a spiritual justice!

Mystery of missing evidence from Tresor Nursing Home

When one stands against misdeeds in an institution, one must be extremely strong to withstand any mud-slinging. 

The trustees started slanderous attacks on us after we five sisters decided to stand together against the inhuman and brutal assault on my eldest sister Jayashree by Krishna Chandra (a non-ashramite in 2001) on 09/01/2001 in the premises of the Ashram Dining Room during her working hours and in the presence of Veda Prakash Johar (Ashram trustee and in-charge of Dining Room).

• -          Trustees, especially Dr. Dilip Kimar Dutta, prohibited us to lodge a police complaint regarding the assault on Jayashree on 09/01/2001. We were asked to abide by the rules of the Ashram as stated in the “Prosperity Book”.
• -          Hemlata was punished for requesting action to be taken against the assaulter Krishna Chandra. Her food, at the Ashram Dining Room counter-service, was stopped and she was only allowed to take home food through carrier-service.
• -          Arati Das Gupta, (a teacher, a sports’ captain and Manoj Das Gupta’s sister and prime advisor) verbally informed Hemlata that her sports facilities had been stopped but did not give any reason for the same.
• -          Hemlata and Jayashree approached Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, the director of sports in the Ashram, for clarification and Gangaram gave them a handwritten note saying that Hemlata’s name had been removed from the ‘Prosperity List’ therefore her sports facilities had been stopped.
• -          Breakfast was not served to the five sisters at the Ashram Dining Room on 23/03/2001 although Hemlata had been allowed to eat in the Dining Room on 22/03/2001.
• -         Trustees publicly circulated a defamatory letter about Hemlata, without having first given her a copy of this letter marked ‘Strictly Personal and Confidential’. She received this letter only after she had filed her Civil Suit in O.S. No. 215/2001 challenging her illegal expulsion where no show-cause notice had been served to her, much less an enquiry conducted.

On the first hearing of O.S. No. 215/2001, the judge had asked trustees’ lawyer C.S.Narasimhan to produce evidence for the serious allegations made by them. This lawyer of the trustees replied that he would produce them soon. This “soon” has yet to come even after 14 years.

After Hemlata had filed her suit for defamation citing the five trustees along with their three henchmen, as accused before the criminal court, the trustees were demented with rage and went completely haywire.

My questioning the sudden visits of P.P. Raghavachary and C.S. Narasimhan to Tresor Nursing Home led to the illegal termination of my work without assigning any reasons. Later, only through court papers I learnt that I was accused of destroying the alleged evidences relating to Hemlata’s advanced stage of pregnancy. It was rather shocking. Trustees and their henchmen spread these news (Hemlata’s alleged pregnancy and my alleged destruction of “medical” evidence) like a wild forest-fire and everyone believed them in good faith because pregnancy is a frequently recurring occurrence in the Ashram.

Trustees made me a scapegoat to safeguard their interests, especially because I had seen the diary maintained by Chitra Sen recording several terminations of pregnancies of ashram related cases at Tresor Nursing Home. So easy… so very convenient!!!

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.

The First Phase of Litigation

The first phase of litigation between the trustees and we five sisters began on and from 23.03.2001. The circumstances and cause of action for all multifaceted arose from the point where Jayashree was brutally assaulted in the presence of one of the trustees of Ashram, one Veda Prakash Johar, who did nothing to stop the inhuman assault. Thereafter the trustees tried their best to suppress the incident of assault. But because of our persistent demand for justice, we were all targeted one by one.

On 21.03.2001 Hemlata was issued a chit saying that her name had been removed from ‘Prosperity List’ of the Ashram. Prosperity List is a list of all the inmates who are being taken care of in every way by the Ashram and are completely dependent on the Ashram for their survival. Based on this chit Hemlata filed a civil suit for permanent injunction on 23.03.2001 in the morning in O.S. No.215/2001 before the Hon’ble I Additional Munsif at Pondicherry. (See postings of 09.01.2001, 30.03.2001 and 13.09.2002)

As a way to shush me for repeatedly demanding and later threatening to go to the police to lodge a complaint for Jayashree’s assault, the trustees punished me by allowing me to take food only through carrier service. I complied for about three weeks then realizing that we were being needlessly targeted, I wrote to the concerned trustees that I was going to resume taking my food at the Ashram Dining Room. On 22/3/2001 I was allowed to take food from the Dining Room counter. But on 23.03.2001 when with my four elder sisters I went for breakfast none of us were given food. (See posting of 24.03.2001).

After I filed O.S. No.215/2001 I was charged with false allegation of misconduct. After issuing appropriate legal notice for defamation I filed a criminal case defamation in S.T.R. No.864/2001 on 03.04.2001 before the Judicial Magistrate I of Pondicherry where the then trustees and their three henchmen were accused of defaming me and spreading lies about me. (See postings of 15.05.2001, 06.11.2001 and 24.11.2004). The accused were acquitted because the judge had been compromised. I have preferred a criminal appeal in Cr.A. No.477/2005 challenging the unjust acquittal and it is pending disposal before the Hon’ble Madras High Court. But till date this case remains the only one where all the trustees appeared in person as accused and faced the Judge and because of this indigestible humiliation the trustees have never forgiven my family and me.

The trustees came to know about this criminal case even before the notice reached them. They were furious and targeted my four elder sisters also. My sisters were issued with an illegal show cause notice backdated to 02.04.2001. This show cause notice already contained the punishment even without going into the veracity of the allegations made against them. My sisters were falsely accused of ‘misbehavior and defiance’. On 09.04.2001 they filed O.S. No.253/2001 challenging the malafide show cause notice issued to them before the Hon’ble I Additional District Munsif at Pondicherry. For ten long years needlessly the battled raged on in this case. (See postings on 15.04.2001 and 09.04.2010)

Since the trustees misrepresented before the Hon’ble Madras High Court, my suit in O.S. No.215/2001 was summarily terminated and Mr. Menon was appointed as the third enquiry officer to conduct an enquiry into the allegations of misconduct leveled against me. He submitted to my lawyer at Madras/ Chennai a perverse undated report and before the trustees could take action based on Mr. Menon’s impugned report I challenged the same on 14.11.2002 by filing O.S. No.668/2002 before the Hon’ble I Additional District Munsif at Pondicherry. (See postings dated 14.11.2002, 03.12.2002, 01.03.2003 and 23.09.2008). The trial has been underway for the past four years and it could have been finished had the trustees not delayed and protracted the proceedings, which they are still doing. The trustees have had to pay fine two times of Rs.2,000/- for failing to conduct the trial of the case.

The easiest way to discredit and humiliate a lady is by casting aspersion on her character, conduct and behavior. This is how all the five sisters were subjected to gross humiliation. As we kept challenging the unjust actions of the trustees the first phase of the litigation unfolded.

The Root Cause and Synopsis of Fourteen Years of Litigation

Jayashree’s brutal assault on 09.01.2001 and our persistent demand for justice from the trustees resulted in 14 years of litigation starting from 23.03.2001 till date. It is interesting to note the manner in which Krishna Chandra, who had assaulted Jayashree, and even his sister were greatly rewarded by the trustees. After undergoing a short probation period they were made ashramites and presently enjoy all the facilities and amenities of the Ashram but we are being denied the same. This is spiritual justice so claim the unspiritual power-hungry trustees.

From 09.01.2001 for more than two months we were persistent in our demand for justice for Jayashree and patiently waited for the trustees to take action to that effect. Instead we came to know that the trustees were busy trying to suppress the assault on Jayashree by creating false circumstantial evidence in order to declare her to be a mental case. Hemlata threatened to go to the police and lodge a complaint on her sister’s behalf. Thus began a series of court cases. 

1. O.S. No.215/2001 (I Additional District Munsif at Pondicherry) – Hemlata vs. SAAT and its trustees – challenging the attempted illegal expulsion by the trustees. Suit is summarily terminated by the Madras High Court on 13.09.2002.
2. O.S. No.253/2001 (I Additional District Munsif at Pondicherry) – Jayashree, Arunashri, Rajyashri, Nivedita Vs. SAAT and its trustees – challenging the illegal show cause notice dated 02.04.2001. Suit is dismissed on 09.03.2007.
3. S.T.R. No.864/2001 (Judicial Magistrate I at Pondicherry) – Hemlata vs. Harikant Patel, Veda Prakash Johar, Manoj Das Gupta, Dilip Datta, Albert Paterl, Krishna Belliappa, Manjunath, Satyanarayanamurthy, - filed for defamation against the above-named accused persons. Magistrate visited Sri Aurobindo Ashram with Matriprasad and enjoyed the hospitality of the trustees. He was totally comprised and he wrongly acquitted the accused on 23.11.2004
4. C.R.P. No. 2230/2001 & No. 2534/2001 in O.S.No.253/2001 (Madras High Court) – two revisions filed by sisters and the trustees against each other challenging different portions of the order passed in I.A. No.935/2001 in O.S. No.253/2001. Common order was passed on 29.10.2001 disposing off both the CRPs.
5. C.R.P. No.787/2002 (Madras High Court) – SAAT and its trustees vs. Hemlata – trustees challenge the order passed in I.A. No. 2672/2001 in O.S. No.215/2001. Since the trustees had claimed that prior to expelling Hemlata they had conducted an “in camera enquiry”, the Hon’ble Trial Court had not permitted the trustees to constitute a second enquiry against her by appointing Suresh Chandra De as enquiry officer. So they filed this CRP under Article 227 of the Constitution. Order passed on 13.09.2002 terminating O.S. No.215/2001 because trustees give undertaking of restoring all facilities as inmate to Hemlata. Mr. Menon is appointed as the enquiry officer by the High Court of Madras. He is the third enquiry officer in a third enquiry-proceedings for the same alleged offence of misconduct.
6. Contempt No.718/2002 (Madras High Court) - SAAT and its trustees vs. 4 sisters - trustees file a contempt proceedings against five sisters. They have appointed Suresh Chandra De (IPS) as enquiry officer. We challenge his appointment enquiry at Pondicherry. Orders passed on 24.01.2003 stating no contempt of court committed by sisters.
7. O.S. No.668/2002 (I Additional District Munsif at Pondicherry) – Hemlata vs. SAAT and its trustees – challenging the impugned report of Mr. Menon, the third enquiry officer. Trial underway for 4 years. Trustees have paid two times fine of Rs.2,000/- each for failing to conduct the trial.
8. F.I.R. No.213/2004 resulting in S.T.R. No.7919/2004 (Judicial Magistrate II at Pondicherry) – Pondicherry police (on behalf of Arunashri) vs. Girish Panda and others. The FIR was registered for the sexual harassment and attempt to molestation faced by Arunashri. We were never called to give evidence in the case. Accused were acquitted without a trial. No order copy was furnished to us by the police or from the JM II court.
9. O.S. No.409/2005 (Principal District Munsif at Pondicherry) – five sisters vs. SAAT and its trustees – challenging the impugned report of Mr. A.V. Nagarajan. This enquiry was constituted wrongly and with a malafide intention to thwart, suppress and frustrate our efforts to get justice for the sexual harassment faced by us. Trial underway for 4 years. Trustees have paid two times fine of Rs.2,000/- each for failing to conduct the trial.
10. C.M.A. No.7/2005 (Principal Sub Judge at Pondicherry) – SAAT and its trustees vs. Hemlata – trustees challenge the order passed in interim petition in I.A. No.2937/2002 in O.S. No.668/2002 granting Hemlata status quo as an inmate of Ashram and which restrains the trustees from denying, depriving and stopping all the facilities as provided to every inmate. Trustees' appeal dismissed on 30.01.2007.
11. C.M.A. No.35/2005 (Principal Sub Judge at Pondicherry) – SAAT and its trustees vs. five sisters – trustees challenge the order passed in interim petition in I.A. No.1500/2005 in O.S. No.409/2005 granting all five sisters status quo as inmates of Ashram and restrains the trustees from denying, depriving and stopping all the facilities as provided to every inmate.Trustees' appeal dismissed on 30.01.2007
12. Cr.Appeal No.477/2005 (Madras High Court) – Hemlata vs. Veda Prakash Johar, Manoj Das Gupta, Dilip Datta, Albert Paterl, Krishna Belliappa, Manjunath, Satyanarayanamurthy – challenging the order of acquittal passed in S.T.R. No.864/2001 by JM I, Pondicherry. Criminal Appeal is still pending.
13. A.S. No.24/2007 (Principal Sub Judge at Pondicherry) - four sisters Vs. SAAT and its trustees - sisters file appeal against the order 09.03.2007 dismissing O.S. No.253/2001. Orders passed on 09.04.2010 dismissing our appeal.
14. T.O.P. No.85/2007 (Principal District Judge) – Hemlata vs. SAAT and its trustees – transfer petition filed by Hemlata for conducting a joint trial of O.S. No.668/2002 and O.S. No.409/2005. TOP allowed on 23.09.2008 permitting joint trial. Trustees pay fine for the first time of Rs.375/-.
15. C.R.P. No.3037/2007 (Madras High Court) – SAAT and its trustees vs. Hemlata – trustees challenge the order passed in C.M.A. No.7/2005 passed by PSJ, Pondicherry which confirmed the order passed in I.A. No.2937/2002 in O.S.No.668/2002 granting Hemlata status quo as an inmate of Ashram and which restrained the trustees from denying, depriving and stopping all the facilities as provided to every inmate. Order passed on 19.12.2008 adopting the order passed in C.R.P. No.3314/2007.
16. C.R.P.No.3314/2007 (Madras High Court) – SAAT and its trustees vs. five sisters – trustees challenge the order passed in C.M.A. No.35/2005 passed by PSJ, Pondicherry which confirmed the order passed in I.A. No.1500/2005 in O.S.No.409/2005 granting Hemlata status quo as an inmate of Ashram and which restrained the trustees from denying, depriving and stopping all the facilities as provided to every inmate. Order dated 29.01.2008 is passed.
17. M.P. No.1/2008 in C.R.P.No.3314/2007 (Madras High Court) – SAAT and its trustees vs. five sisters – trustees seek to modify the Order dated 29.01.2008 passed in C.R.P. No.3314/2007 under the guise of clarification. Order dated 04.08.2008 is passed.
18. C.R.P. No.3759/2008 – (Madras High Court) – SAAT and its trustees vs. Hemlata – trustees challenge the order passed in T.O.P. No.85/2007 for conducting joint trial. On 28.11.2008 High Court passed an order directing to conduct simultaneous trial in O.S. No.668/2002 and O.S. No.409/2005. They have to be tried separately without one prejudicing the other.
19. M.P. No.2/2008 in C.R.P.No.3314/2007 (Madras High Court) – SAAT and its trustees vs. five sisters –Order dated 04.08.2008 passed in M.P. No.1/2008 in C.R.P. No.3314/2007 is a modified version of the order passed 29.01.2008 passed in C.R.P. No.3314/2007 under the guise of a clarification. For a second time trustees seek to modify to their convenience the high court order under the guise of clarification. Order dated 21.06.2010 is passed.
20. F.I.R. No.272/2010 (Chief Judicial Magistrate at Pondicherry) – Jayashree vs. Pondicherry Police – for getting directions to register an FIR for the assault denial of food which occurred on 22.07.2010 at Ashram Dining Room.
21. F.I.R. No.273/2010 (Chief Judicial Magistrate at Pondicherry) – Hemlata vs. Pondicherry Police – for getting directions to register an FIR for the assault denial of food which occurred on 22.07.2010 at Ashram Dining Room.
22. C.R.P. No.4219/2010 – SAAT and its trustees vs. five sisters – trustees challenge interim order passed in I.A. No.2094/2010 restoring food and all the basic amenities and facilities of the Ashram. On 22.07.2010 the trustees had forcibly and illegally implemented the exparte Order dated 21.06.2010 passed in M.P. No.2/2008 in C.R.P. No.3314/2007 and stopped our food and all facilities as inmates. Order dated 03.08.2012 is passed.
23. Contempt Petition No.1483/2010 (Madras High Court) – SAAT and its trustees vs. five sisters – trustees file contempt proceedings against us because we did not follow the unexecutable order dated 21.06.2010 since the third party prevented its execution. No contempt is held.
24. S.L.P. No.27620/2012 (Supreme Court) – five sisters vs. SAAT and its trustees – we challenge the order dated 03.08.2012 passed in C.R.P. No.4216/2010. Stay is granted on --- by Justice Gokhale and Justice Nijjar. Unexecutable final orders are passed under two minutes by Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya and Justice Ranjan Gogoi on 29.04.2014 who do not even give us an opportunity to be heard.
25. Contempt No.395/2014 (Supreme Court) – SAAT and its trustees vs. five sisters – Trustees file contempt against five sisters for not following an unexecutable order dated 29.04.2014 passed by Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya and Justice Ranjan Gogoi. Ironically, after visiting the Ashram and enjoying the hospitality of the trustees and … Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya issues arrest warrant against the five sisters in spite of having gone through our letter where we express our inability to appear before the court because we have no means.

Some Highlights of the Harassment and Victimization faced by five sisters at the hands of the trustees

I list below several occasions when we sisters have been assaulted, harassed, victimized, either on the instructions of the trustees or by their henchmen acting out of self-interest. 

1. On 09.01.2001 at about 6.15 a.m. Jayashree Prasad, my eldest sister was brutally assaulted by one Krishnachander of Odhisha in front of Veda Prakash Johar (Ashram trustee and in-charge of Ashram Dining Room). He was then a voluntary worker at Ashram Dining Room wherein she was working and also Veda Prakash Johar’s protégé. As a reward of this assault he was made an inmate of the Ashram. (For more details read posting dated 09.01.2001)
2. On 23.03.2001 all the sisters are denied breakfast at Ashram Dining Room. Hemlata is manhandled by inmates Manjunath and Satyanarayanamurthy. We were denied breakfast as a punishment because we were presistent in our demand for action to be taken against Krishna Chandra who had assaulted Jayashree. We gave a written complaint to the police for denial of food, for assault on Jayashree and manhandling of Hemlata. (For more details read posting dated 23.03.2001)
3. On 03.08.2004 – Arunashri Prasad, my second elder sister, was attempted to be molested by one Chandramani Patel. He had been harassing her for quite some time by sending pornographic chits and making sexual advances which she was determinedly refusing. (For more details read postings dated 03.08.2004, 19.09.2004 and 13.10.2004)
4. On 01.06.2004 at about 8 a.m. I was beaten up by one inmate Dhiraj Bannerjee in front of my relatives who were present for no apparent cause except following trustees’ direction.
5. (For more details read posting dated 01.06.2006)
6. On 29.12.2006 at about 4 p.m. Arunashri Prasad was dragged by her hair and brutally beaten up by Subhashini Mohanty at the Ashram Laundry in front of its acting incharge.
7. (For more details read posting dated 29.12.2006)
8. On 22.07.2010 at about 12 p.m. Jayashree and myself we were beaten under instructions of the trustees by  Purushottam Kothari, Maya Khandelwal, Matriprasad, Jahnavi Ravikanti, and we were denied food at the Ashram Dining. The police were brought to the Ashram Dining Room to forcibly implement the Order of the Madras High Court dated 21.06.2010. (For more details read posting dated 22.07.2010)
9. On 25.11.2013 Jayashree is threatened and intimidated at about 3.00 a.m. by Michale Neville, Prashant, Chandramani Patel. (For more details read posting 30.11.2013)

Trustees Maliciously Keep Denying Food to Five Sisters

Trustees send a letter at a wrongly mentioned address to Jayashree enclosing a non-certified copy of the malafide order dated 21.06.2010. We inform the trustees that the order is not verifiable and even as we are taking steps to obtain a certified copy, the trustees forcibly implement this order.

On 22.07.2010 we five sisters go for lunch. Using Pondicherry police to intimidate us, Matriprasad, Maya Khandelwal, Jahnavi Ravikanti, Purushottam Kothari and others assault Jayashree and Hemlata and deny us food at Ashram Dining Room. (See posting dated 22.07.2010).

On 23.07.2010 I meet the Warden of Jenny Working Women’s Hostel saying that our food has been stopped at Ashram Dining Room and we have been directed to reside at the hostel by the Madras High Court. Thereafter on 27.07.2010 I write a letter to the Warden asking her about our position vis-à-vis her hostel. In answer I get a letter from her dated 25.07.2010 which she has sent to the trustees stating that their representatives have misrepresented and mislead them and they are in no position to accommodate us.

In spite of receiving letter dated 25.07.2010 from the Warden of Jenny Women Hostel the trustees have failed to provide food to us till date.

Typed-copy of letter dated 25.07.2010 (Warden’s letter to trustees) is produced below.

A Glaring Example of Collusion Between Pondicherry Police and Ashram Trustees

On 21.06.2010, without our knowledge and in our absence Justice K. Venkataraman of Madras High Court passes perverse orders directing we five sisters to accommodate ourselves at Jenny Working Women’s Hostel. Thereafter the trustees send Jayashree an uncertified copy of this order at wrong address. We cannot verify its authenticity and so we take steps to get this order by ourselves from the Madras High Court.

Meanwhile we were secretly informed that trustees are going to stop our food and so on 22.07.2010 at about 12 p.m. together we five sisters go for lunch at Ashram Dining Room. There we see police constables men and women, as well as Matriprasad, Purushottam Kothari, Maya Khandelwal, Jahnavi Ravikanti, among others, waiting for us. The inmates come forward to forcibly stop us and beat Jayashree and me in the process. The police are simply watching the show. We are denied food at the Ashram Dining. We go towards the Lt. Governor’s house to seek a meeting with him. We are chased by the police and land up instead at the Chief Secretariat. By then media persons have arrived and after much ado the Chief Secretary Mr. Chandra Mohan gives us an appointment.

We apprise Mr. Chandra Mohan of how illegally and forcibly the trustees have implemented the order through assault and police intimidation. He calls the SP North one N.T. Sivadasan. Mr. Sivadasan tries to defend himself by spinning a long yarn when in fact he has received money from the trustees for helping them to stop our food. We charged him with this in front of Mr. Chandra Mohan and he did not defend himself. He is given a royal dressing down from Mr. Chandra Mohan, Chief Secretary, but the damage is done and they are both unwilling to undo the damage viz. reversing the denial of food in the Ashram Dining Room.

We have no food to eat. For how long? Anybody's guess.

Magisterial Enquiry Ordered by Govt. of Pondicherry

After the statements were reported in ‘The Hindu’ and ‘The Indian Express’, we wrote letter to Mrs. Kamalini requesting for a copy of the report to be furnished to us. Till date no reply has come and neither has any report been furnished to us.

Meanwhile trustees had concocted a false report against all we five sisters based on which the trustees were trying to expel us. Since the starting point of the report was our sexual harassment, to safeguard our interests we were constrained to personally go to Delhi and met NCW Chairperson.

Luckily for us Dr. Girija Vyas had replaced Mrs. Poornima Advani. We met Dr. Girija Vyas, Chairperson of NCW, and Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman, South Zone Head of NCW, both of whom were genuinely concerned for our welfare. In spite of their thorough search they were unable to unearth the report as mentioned on 19.01.2005 news-item, allegedly submitted to Mrs. Poornima Advani by Mrs. S. Kamalini.

Having seen our miserable plight Dr. Girija Vyas decided to reopen our case. We received a letter directing us to appear and submit our complaints to NCW, New Delhi. Since we were not in a position to appear in person, we sent by RPAD our representations dated 21.07.2005 to NCW in Case No.8/4047/04/NCW/JA/CP/179. Thereafter our case had been directed to be investigated by the Department of Women and Child Development, Pondicherry (DWCD).

Mrs. Devi Matthews, the Director of DWCD issued us summons. We appeared before Mrs. Devi Matthews and the Deputy Director Mrs. Meena. Our condition had worsened and they too were shocked at our victimization. Mrs. Matthews asked the trustees to reply in the course of her investigation but they gave very vague answers. The harassment reached another climax when Arunashri was brutally beaten up. (see posting dated 29.12.2006)

We met Mr. T.M. Balakrishnan, I.A.S., Hon’ble Secretary (Welfare), Pondicherry, and Mrs. Devi Matthews on 02.01.2007 at the Chief Secretariat, Pondicherry, expressing our fear, insecurity, harassment and sexual harassment faced by us. They were both very concerned and promised to do something.

Thereafter G.O. dated 23.02.2007 was issued by the Hon’ble Secretary, Mr. T.M. Balakrishnan, directing Mr. Vasanthakumar, I.A.S., Sub-Divisional Magistrate cum Deputy Collector at Pondicherry, to conduct a magisterial enquiry into our complaints. Today we gave our complaints to him on 19.03.2007. Mr. Ashokan was also present when we presented our case.

Government Order dated 23.02.2007 is produced below.

Arunashri Faces Yet Another Humiliation

Ever since we have protested against the sexual harassment meted out to us, many henchmen of the trustees are trying to be the trustees’ favorites and competing with each other to harass us and torture us, either to obtain personal favors and/or to hide or enhance their own wrongdoings. One such person is Subhashini Mohanty hailing from Orisa.

It is rumored that she was sold by her brother for a lump-sum and was coerced into prostitution. She somehow managed to escape and found a haven here at the Ashram. She has stripped many men of their wealth and destroyed marriages, and even now openly entertains men in her room given by the Ashram.

Subhashini works at Ashram laundry, a facility enjoyed by all inmates and chosen beneficiaries. She has been regularly stealing Arunashri’s clothes, tearing or damaging them or making them in some way unwearable. Arunashri has complained repeatedly to the laundry management but in vain. 

On 29.12.2006 at about 4 p.m. when Arunashri went to collect her laundered clothes, Subhashini dragged her by her hair and brutally beat her up in front of its acting in-charge. Subhashini Mohanty goes daily to the gym and does a lot of exercise and is a very strong manly type of woman and my sister is a typical dainty lady. You can image my sister's condition.

But guess what??? … After beating Arunashri, obviously as instructed by the trustees of the Ashram, Subhashini rushes to Trust Office, reports her done deed. She is immediately taken to Ashram Nursing Home under Dilip Datta’s preplanned scheme and spends two days recovering from the incident. Whereas Arunashri, who was not even able to get up, somehow managed to reach home. She was not given any treatment or care. Mind-blowing sense of justice.

Arunashri reported the incident to Albert Patel, another trustee of Ashram and in-charge of Ashram Laundry,  in person. He outright refused to hear her problem.

Hemlata Assaulted in front of Ashram Dining Room.

Dhiraj Bannerjee is an old ashramite and an ex-student of Ashram School. He has been in the constant habit of making vulgar gestures and passing vulgar comments for quite some time. 

On 01.06.2004 at about 8 a.m. I was talking to some of my relatives and coming out of Ashram Dining Room. Dhiraj walked up to them, abused them and when I asked him to stop he began giving me blows. My relatives were greatly upset and disturbed by this untoward incident and could not believe that Ashram was harboring such kinds of people who could do anything for personal gain under the directions of the trustees.

Hemlata Files Criminal Case For Defamation

Trustees Letter dated 22.03.2001 to Hemlata read ‘Strictly Personal and Confidential’ but no confidentiality had been maintained by them. The trustees had widely circulated this defamatory letter to inmates, locals, police and even made open representation in the court without producing any evidence for my alleged pregnancy. So after issuing Legal Notices to the trustees and one Krishna Belliappa who was supposed to have made me pregnant, as claimed by the trustees, on 03.04.2001, to safeguard our interests, I was constrained to file a defamation case against the Ashram trustees viz. Harikant Patel, Veda Prakash Johar, Dilip Datta, Manoj Das Gupta and Albert Patel @ Avinash together with three inmates viz. Krishna Belliappa, Manjunath, Satyanarayanamurthy.

Even before notice could reach the accused persons, the trustees had come to know about my criminal case and they proceeded to harass and victimize my other sisters. My four elder sisters were issued a malafide show cause notice for an incident which never occurred accusing them of ‘misbehavior and defiance’. This notice contained the punishment without having first ascertained the veracity of the alleged incident.

Immediately after issuing this malafide notice Nivedita’s work was illegally stopped by Chitra Sen at Tresor Nursing Home and no reason was given. Seeing the trustees highhandedness my four elder sisters filed a civil suit challenging the show cause notice back-dated to 02.04.2001 in O.S. No.253/2001 before the Hon’ble I Additional District Munsif at Pondicherry on 09.04.2001, seeking to restrain the trustees from their unjustified illegal actions.

Interestingly on 07.04.2001, the day Nivedita’s work was illegally terminated, trustees issued a reply notice to the legal notice issued by me for causing defamation, based on some undisclosed medical records of Hemlata available at the Tresor Nursing Home. Thereafter the contents of this notice were presented as counter in the interim injunction application filed in I.A. No.814/2001 in O.S. No.215/2001.

The story of allegation of misconduct by Hemlata was subtly changed from trustees’ defamatory letter dated 22.03.2001 to their reply notice dated 07.04.2001 and their counter filed in I.A. No.814/2001. The subtleties made all the difference and clearly indicated that the whole bunch of allegations was a concocted affair by the trustees, hand-in-glove with Chitra Sen, to deny and deprive us justice for Jayashree’s assault.

Trustees Deny Breakfast to Five Sisters

After Jayashree was assaulted on 09.01.2001, a group comprising of Nirmal Swain, Girish Panda, Santosh Nayak, Krishna Chandra, to name a few goondas of the trustees, had threatened the trustees that if any action was taken against Krishna Chandra, the whole oriya group would do a mass walk out of Dining Room. Since Ashram Dining Room functions mainly on the strength of the oriyas, the trustees were forced to shut up and tried to suppress the assault on Jayashree. In fact the trustees realizing the potential for future use of this group, readily rewarded Krishna Chandra by facilitating his stay in the Ashram.

But we persisted in my demand for justice to all the trustees, most especially Dilip Datta. In order to stop Hemlata and cover up their inaction the trustees began threatening and harassing me. I was punished and was forced to carry food in tiffin carrier if I wanted to eat. For three weeks I suffered in silence then decided to resume my food at Ashram Dining Room defying the unjust punishment imposed upon me. I first wrote letters to all the concerned trustees informing them of my intention. Then on 22.03.2001 I had my lunch and my dinner at the Ashram Dining Room. However when on 23.03.2001 I went with my four elder sisters to partake breakfast at the Ashram Dining Room at about 7.30 a.m.

All the sisters are denied breakfast. I was manhandled by inmates Manjunath and Satyanarayanamurthy. I gave a written complaint to the police for denial of food, for assault on Jayashree and my manhandling. On 24.03.2001 police called the above named inmates to police station and after questioning them, police issued a Report in Non-Cognizable Offence against my complaint and made wrong entries. Police also mentioned that it was a civil offence and matters should be sorted out with the trustees.

Which law-book states that cases of assault and manhandling and denial of food are civil offences? A new law-book probably as yet unheard of…

Jayashree Prasad Brutally Assaulted in Ashram Dining Room

Jayashree Prasad, my eldest sister, was brutally assaulted in the Ashram Dining Room at around 6.15 a.m. by one Krishna Chandra of Orissa, in front of Veda Prakash Johar, a trustee of Ashram Trust and the in-charge of Ashram Dining Room and in-front of Sharada-ben, who is the deputy in-charge. Krishna Chandra is a voluntary worker and a protégé of Veda Prakash Johar.

The said Krishna Chandra had been accosting Jayashree for some time soliciting sexual favors and she had been repeatedly thwarting his advances. She had even complained to Veda P. Johar and Harikant Patel, the Managing Trustee of Ashram, both of whom had told her that these things happen in the Ashram and one should not pay attention to them. Krishna Chandra had already got bad record of spoiling the lives of certain girls from the village wherefrom he came, so we were given to understand.

Finally on this day Krishna Chandra opened his shorts in front of her and when Jayashree tried to push past him to reach some safety, she was brutally beaten up. His supporters Girish Panda and Santosh Nayak were also present during the assault and they were silently encouraging him. When she was on the point of near collapse due to the trauma of assault, Girish, who also hails from Orissa, mockingly told Krishna Chandra in oriya to the effect that leave her for today.

Jayashree was aghast and completely broken as she confronted Veda Prakash Johar and told him that if you think what has happened here today in your presence is right then call me back for work and she somehow managed to reach parents house and collapsed.

We other sisters were informed and immediately we rushed to her side. We first went to meet Veda Prakash Johar who was trembling on seeing us. He outright denied his presence, which was most unworthy of his position as trustee and in-charge, while Sharda-ben confirmed his presence during the assault.

Then we went to meet Dilip Kumar Datta, who is another trustee of Ashram Trust and also the overall medical in-charge of Ashram medical facilities. Dilip Datta is also looking into all the legal matters of the Ashram. He did not treat Jayashree but he exclaimed that it is a serious police criminal case, it should not happen even at home, how can it happen in the Ashram?! But he requested us not to go to the police when we asked him if we could lodge a complaint at the police station. He assured us that justice would be given and action taken but since it will create a bad name for the Ashram, it would be better if sorted out in-house.

There is a rule in the Ashram that inmates cannot approach the police before obtaining prior permission from the trustees and since Dilip Datta had denied us permission, we could not approach the police for help.