Asaram rape case: Self-styled godman sentenced to lifetime imprisonment

An Indian court has found a high-profile spiritual guru guilty of raping a teenage female devotee in 2013 and he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. He is expected to appeal against the sentence in a higher court. Section-144 has been imposed in the city to prevent any untoward incident.

Besides the three murders, he was also involved in two other attacks – on Asaram’s former personal assistant Mahendra Chawla in Haryana’s Panipat in 2015, and the warden of Asaram’s Chhindwada-based ashram, Omprakash Prajapati, and his wife Seema, the police said.

The actor at first accepted that after the conviction, Bapu is a rapist but that should be no reason for everyone to share pictures of the godman with the Prime Minister. His bail pleas were rejected six times since then.

He is also on trial in another rape case in western Gujarat state. However, he has denied of any such accusations.

“We have got justice” said the victim’s father, who remains unnamed. Tight security has been ensured at the house of victim in Shahajahanpur.

The family reached the Jodhpur ashram on 14 August.

The final arguments in the case were completed in the Jodhpur court on April 7 and the order was reserved for Wednesday.

Asaram’s followers have been accused of attacking or pressuring those who have spoken out against the guru into withdrawing their allegations.

The 77-year-old self-styled godman was arrested in connection with the case in 2013 and has been in jail ever since. The girl was brought to the ashram by her parents. There she was asked to perform sexual acts and was touched inappropriately by him. The police are also investigating him for corruption and forgery.

He still commands a devoted following even though his star power is fading following the rape charges and other controversies. “I am sure that Asaram will be freed of all charges by high court once he approaches it”, he said.

Special Judge (SC/ST court) Madhusudhan Sharma had earlier convicted him in the Jodhpur Central jail premises. Meanwhile, in Dehradun, an uneasy calm could be witnessed at Asaram’s ashram. Yet another witness was shot after four days.

The government had informed the apex court that the victims’ statement has been recorded. He, too was one of the import witness of the case. The case was later transferred to Jodhpur.

Replying to the actor’s tweet, one of the Twitterati wrote, “Man!” Asaram was hiding from being arrested but his son claimed that his father was suffering from trigeminal neuralgia once he had completely recovered.

Vanzara was made an accused by the CBI in the alleged fake encounter cases of Soharabuddin Sheikh, Tulsi Prajapati and Ishrat Jahan. The case, however, was forwarded to Jodhpur police.

A self-styled “godman” has been given a life sentence in India for raping a minor at his monastery in 2013.