Asaram Bapu given life sentence for a second rape
In connection with a rape case from 2013, Gujarat’s Gandhinagar Sessions Court on Tuesday sentenced self-described godman Asaram Bapu to life in prison. Around ten years ago, a woman from Surat accused Asaram of repeatedly raping her while she was a guest at his ashram in Motera, Ahmedabad.
In this, Asaram Bapu’s second sexual assault case, he was found guilty and sentenced to prison. A Rajasthan court convicted the self-styled godman guilty in a second sexual assault case in 2018, and he is currently incarcerated in a prison in Jodhpur.
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Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai were accused of sexual exploitation by two Surat-based women in 2013, following Asaram Bapu’s incarceration for raping the girl in Rajasthan.
When she resided at Asaram’s Ahmedabad ashram between 1997 and 2006, the elder sister accused him of sexual assaults.
When the younger sister resided in Asaram’s ashram in the Jahangirpura neighbourhood of Surat between 2002 and 2005, she accused Narayan Sai of sexual abuse.
2019 saw the life sentence of Narayan Sai following his conviction for raping the younger sister. 2013 saw his arrest following a nationwide manhunt.
The Case
The woman who brought the lawsuit against Asaram claimed that while she was held captive in his ashram for a number of years, the self-styled godman raped her there. 2013 saw the initial registration of the case.
68 people’s statements were obtained during the course of the inquiry into the matter. Divya Ravia, the investigator in this case, too repeatedly got death threats while it was being investigated.
Six others were exonerated by the same court that found the godman guilty on Monday due to a lack of evidence. According to Indian Penal Code Sections 376 2(C) (rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 342 (wrongful detention), 354 (attack or criminal force to a woman with the purpose to outrage her modesty), 357 (assault), and 506 (assault), Asaram was found guilty (criminal intimidation).
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Asaram was a persistent offender, according to Special Public Prosecutor R.C. Kodekar, who requested life in jail for him.
One of the eight people who were implicated in the case later admitted to being an approver.
Asaram was found guilty of rape by the Gandhinagar court on Monday, but the other defendants in the case were cleared. The Gandhinagar court cleared Asaram’s wife Lakshmi, daughter Bharati, and four female followers (Dhruvben, Nirmala, Jassi, and Meera) of all charges.