Gandhinagar: The self-proclaimed ‘godman’ Asaram Bapu who was found guilty of sodomy and rape of a former devotee, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
A Gandhinagar court in Gujarat held Asaram guilty of sodomy and rape of a former devotee, who had levelled the accusation against him more than a decade ago
This is the second sentence Asaram will serve on sex crime charges. The self-styled ‘godman’, called “Asaram Bapu” by his followers, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018 for the rape of a minor girl in 2013 in Jodhpur – also a former follower of the religious leader.
Asaram Bapu was accused by a Surat-based woman of repeatedly raping her while she was at his ashram in Ahmedabad’s Motera around 10 years ago. The Gandhinagar sessions court, which convicted Asaram Bapu today, will pronounce the punishment in the case on Tuesday.
Asaram Bapu was charged under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 354A (sexual harassment), 370(4) (trafficking), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
Asaram’s son Narayan Sai was an accused in the case as well. Asaram’s wife Lakshmi, daughter Bharati, and four female followers — Dhruvben, Nirmala, Jassi and Meera — were also accused in the case. All of them were acquitted by the Gandhinagar court.
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