Asaram Bapu accused of sexual assault

Controversial spiritual guru Asaram Bapu is in the news again for the wrong reasons with Delhi police filing a case against him on the complaint of a 16-year-old girl that he had sexually assaulted her in a Jodhpur ashram.

The teenage girl and her parents have given a written complaint against the 74year-old self-styled godman.

The complaint was filed in Delhi as the girl's father felt the case would be suppressed in Rajasthan.

Asaram's spokesperson rubbished the allegations against him saying they are all 'fake' and that there was a conspiracy to malign his image.

The girl, who is from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, has alleged in her complaint that Asaram Bapu had molested her in his ashram in Jodhpur. She has also said that when her father brought her to Delhi to meet the godman at a camp earlier this month, he left without meeting them. Her father then lodged a complaint with the police.

After filing of the FIR in Delhi, the case has been referred to Jodhpur.

Asaram had incited public outcry when he claimed that the Delhi gang rape victim

could have saved herself by addressing her violators as brothers and asking for mercy. He had said that the 23-year-old student was as responsible for the ghastly incident as the six accused who have been arrested by the Delhi Police. Asaram Bapu, who has a large following, was earlier in the news after Gujarat Police filed a case of attempted murder against him and two others. He was also accused of illegal land grabbing in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.