CBSE issues show-cause notice to Ahmedabad school where land was leased out to Nithyananda's ashram

New Delhi: The CBSE has issued a show-cause notice to a private school in Ahmedabad where land was leased out to self-styled godman Nithyananda’s ashram.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had on Thursday sought a report from the Gujarat education department on how land of a school was leased out to Nithyananda’s ashram in Ahmedabad without its permission.

The board’s directive had come on a day the Gujarat Police informed that Nithyananda, booked in a criminal case related to his ashram, has fled the country.

The CBSE has now asked DPS Hirapur in Ahmedabad, why its affiliation should not be withdrawn for using a forged document to get the Gujarat government’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) and ultimately, the CBSE’s affiliation.

“In the light of the communication received from the state government it transpires that the school is functioning and has managed to get affiliation without ever being issued a ‘No Objection Certificate’ by the state government and the school has submitted a forged document.

“The school is, therefore, not eligible to continue the provisional or general affiliation of the board, the show-cause notice read.

The school has been given seven days time to respond to the notice.

The school’s principal Hitesh Puri, had on Thursday said, “we have terminated the lease agreement.”

An FIR was registered against Nithyananda on Wednesday on charges of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children to make them collect donations from followers to run his ashram.

Police also arrested Sadhvi Pranpriyananda and Priyatatva Riddhi Kiran, both women disciples of the controversial ‘godman’, on charges of allegedly kidnapping at least four children, keeping them in illegal confinement in a flat and using them as child labourers to promote activities of the ashram to collect donations.