Gujarat court sentences Asaram Bapu to life imprisonment for raping disciple

The victim had said in the FIR that she was raped at Asaram's Ashram in Chandkhedra

A sessions court in Gandhinagar on Tuesday sentenced self-styled jailed "godman" Ashumal Thaumal Harpalani, also known as Asaram Bapu, to life imprisonment for raping a woman disciple at his ashram. A day earlier, the court had found him guilty of charges of rape, sodomy, illegal confinement, and criminal conspiracy, among other charges.

Additional Sessions Judge D K Soni pronounced the quantum of a sentence giving Asaram life imprisonment to the "godman" who was once revered by masses and scores of politicians in Gujarat and elsewhere.

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Earlier on Monday, the court had found him guilty under section -376(2)C) (rape), and section-346 (illegal confinement), among other charges. The court believed the testimony of 55 witnesses cited by the prosecution. During the hearing on the quantum of the sentence, the prosecution had demanded maximum punishment.

The FIR against Asaram was registered in 2013 in Surat by one of the two sisters. The police transferred the FIR to Chandkheda in Ahmedabad. The victim had said in the FIR that she was raped at Asaram's Ashram in Chandkheda. Her other sister also filed an FIR in Surat against Asaram's son Narayan Sai for raping her at Surat Ashram.

The trial in Gandhinagar court started in 2014 during which three star witnesses were murdered allegedly by the followers of Asaram. One witness is still missing, whose case is being conducted by CBI, while two others narrowly survived the attack. Asaram is serving a life sentence at Jodhpur jail in a separate rape case.