Gujarat court convicts godman Asaram Bapu in disciple's rape case

In April 2018, a Jodhpur court had found him guilty of raping a 16-year-old in his ashram in the city and sentenced him to life behind bars

A sessions court in Gandhinagar on Monday found self-styled jailed "godman" Ashumal Thaumal Harpalani, popularly known as Asaram Bapu, guilty of raping a woman multiple times at his ashram. The court acquitted six others in the case including his wife and daughter for want of evidence. The quantum of punishment to Asaram is likely to be pronounced on Tuesday.

Additional Sessions Judge D K Soni found Asaram guilty under section -376(2)C) (rape), Section 377 (unnatural sex), Section 346 (illegal confinement), among other charges. Special Public Prosecutor R C Kodekar told DH that the court believed the testimony of 55 witnesses cited by the prosecution. He said that the prosecution would demand maximum punishment.

The FIR against Asaram was registered in 2013 in Surat by one of the two sisters. Police transferred the FIR to Chandkhedra in Ahmedabad. The victim had said in the FIR that she was raped at Asaram's Ashram in Chandkhedra. 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.