Madras HC seeks action report in Villupuram Anbu Jothi Ashram case

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Tamil Nadu police to file, in a week, an Action Taken Report (ATR) on the Villupuram Anbu Jothi Ashram case, where there are allegations of sexual assault, torture, and trafficking of mentally unstable patients from the ashram to other places of the country.

A division bench of Justices M.M. Sundar and M. Nirmal Kumar sought the ATR on a habeas corpus filed in the case of missing inmate.

Zafirullah, 70, was admitted to ashram by Halideen, who was the friend of Salim Khan, the nephew of Zafirullah. Salim Khan, a resident of US, while on a visit to his native place, expressed his desire to meet his uncle but found that he was not present in the ashram.

Halideen registered a complaint with the Kedar police and an FIR was registered. The petitioner approached the court after there was no progress in the case.

As the division bench directed the police to produce Jubin Baby who run the Ashram before the court, Additional Public Prosecutor, R. Muniyapparaj said that Jubin had been arrested and was under judicial custody. The prosecutor also informed the court that video conference of the accused was not possible. The court then asked the police to produce the Action Taken Report (ATR).

Tamil Nadu DGP, C. Sylendra Babu has transferred the case to the CB-CID but the possibility of the case being transferred to the CBI is high.