Another Asaram aide surrenders

Shilpi alias Sanchita Gupta, another aide of godman Asaram Bapu, accused of sexual assault on a minor, on Tuesday surrendered to the police.

Shilpi, the warden of the gurukul where the victim was studying, is one of the five accused in the case. Asaram is accused of sexually abusing a minor girl in his Jodhpur ashram on August 15. The complaint was filed by the victim on August 20. All the accused have been arrested.

Shilpi, who was absconding since the arrest of Asaram Bapu, moved an application for interim bail in the Rajasthan High Court Wednesday, which was rejected. She then surrendered before the district and sessions court and was arrested by the police.  
Shilpi is accused as a co-conspirator in the crime.

She had talked to the family of the girl and persuaded her to travel to meet Asaram at Jodhpur ashram where the sexual assault took place. Shilpi is charged with mediating to “supply” girls to the godman. The police expect more disclosures on the sexual assault case with Shilpi’s surrender.
Asaram Bapu is currently lodged in the Jodhpur central jail under judicial custody till September 30.

He was arrested on September 1 in a dramatic late night crackdown on his ashram in Indore in Madhya Pradesh and flown to Jodhpur. His bail petition will come up for hearing in the Rajasthan High Court on October 1.