Asaram's ashram at Bhedhaghat demolished by local authorities

Legs stiff from long days in the rice terraces of northern Vietnam, scores of female farmers dressed in colourful cloth headbands and skirts gather on a gravel pitch for a game of football

Local authorities today demolished Asaram's ashram situated at Chowkitaal in Bhedhaghat area near after clearing all legal hurdles.

Nearly 7,000 square feet of permanent illegal construction in the ashram was demolished by local authorities in the presence of a large number of police personnel, officials said.

Bhedhaghat's municipality's Chief Executive Officer Anita Yadav and Tehsildar Rishabh Jain told reporters at the demolition site that permanent illegal constructions measuring 7,000 square feet was demolished by authorities in the absence of any legal papers.
The total area of the ashram is 21,000 square feet, they said.

The construction was declared illegal in October 2013 after which ashram authorities went to the high court.

However, the high court directed the district collector to take up the matter.
After the ashram failed to get any relief from the collector, the illegal construction was demolished.

Asaram's supporters were present in large numbers on the occasion and turned emotional when the structure was being demolished.

Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks