Indian guru gets life term for rape
Asaram Bapu, who has millions of followers, assaulted a teenage devotee on pretext of ridding her of evil spirits
An Indian guru with millions of followers was sentenced to life in prison yesterday for raping a teenage devotee on the pretext of ridding her of evil spirits, his lawyer said.
Asaram Bapu, one of India’s most charismatic and controversial “godmen”, was given the maximum sentence at a closed jailhouse hearing in Rajasthan state, where hundreds of police were on high alert for a backlash from his disciples.
“Asaram has been sentenced for life until death,” Rajendra Singh, a lawyer for the defence team, told AFP outside the court in the western city of Jodhpur.
The guru has always denied raping the then 16-year-old in 2013 during a spiritual retreat at his ashram in Jodhpur. His lawyer said they would appeal the sentence.
Asaram is just the latest
high-profile guru jailed for sex crimes, and his conviction comes as India reverberates with anger over a series of child rapes in recent weeks. Two of the four co-accused, including a woman, were also found guilty and were sentenced to 20 years.
Nearly five years after he was arrested, selfstyled guru Asaram Bapu yesterday received a life term in jail for raping a 16-year-old girl.
The verdict was pronounced from Jodhpur Central Jail, where Asaram is being held, due to fears of adverse reactions from his followers.
He was also fined Rs100,000 (Dh5,483) by the court.
The controversial guru was accused of rape, and trafficking under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Asaram, who started in a hut on the banks of the Sabarmati, created a Rs100 billion (Dh5.52 billion) empire with 400 ashrams in India and other parts of the world in four decades.
In 2013, the young girl was left alone with Asaram at his Jodhpur ashram by her parents, since the spiritual leader’s aides had promised them that he could “cure” her of evil spirits that had “most likely” possessed her. She later testified that he raped her and threatened to kill her if she revealed that to anyone.
The father of the rape survivor yesterday thanked the judiciary for the verdict.
“We have got justice. I thank the judiciary. I want to thank everyone who supported us in this fight. I also hope the witnesses who were murdered or kidnapped get justice,” he said.
Two of the guru’s aides were also convicted and jailed for 20 years each, while two others were acquitted.
“This judgement is a lesson to people who think they can get away by committing sexual offences against children,” said Yashwant Jain, a member of National Commission For Protection of Child Rights.
Yesterday, four states — Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat — were put on high alert. Rajasthan Police had initiated unprecedented security measures around Jodhpur city. A 10-day prohibitory order running from April 21-30 had also been issued.
“We have cleared up Asaram’s ashrams and asked all hotels and guesthouses to not allow any of his followers. We have been keeping an eye on bus and railway stations, as well as the airport to ensure that his followers do not enter the city,” Amandeep Singh Kapoor, Jodhpur Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), told media in a press conference.
Asaram was arrested in Indore in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and later moved to Jodhpur jail. During the trial, nine witnesses who testified against him were attacked, with three of them being killed.
Asaram appealed 12 times for bail but was turned down each time. Of the four people accused along with him, two have been found guilty and given 20 years in jail while two others were acquitted. The guru’s spokesperson said that they will appeal the verdict in the High Court.
“We will discuss the matter with our legal team and then decide on our future course of action. We have confidence in our judiciary. We will challenge the verdict,” Asaram’s spokesperson Neelam Dubey told media.