Gujarat court sentences Asaram Bapu to life imprisonment in 2013 rape case
AHMADABAD- A court in Gandhinagar on Tuesday sentenced self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, convicted in a rape case filed by a former woman disciple in 2013, to life imprisonment. However, due to lack of evidence in this case, six other accused including Asaram’s wife were acquitted by the court.
The 81-year-old is currently lodged in a Jodhpur jail, where he is serving life sentence in another case of raping a minor girl at his ashram in Rajasthan in 2013.
Sessions court judge D K Soni pronounced the ruling after hearing the arguments on the quantum of sentence.
The court on Monday convicted Asaram in a case registered in 2013 for raping a woman disciple, who hailed from Surat, on several occasions from 2001 to 2006 when she was living at his ashram at Motera near Ahmedabad.
While talking to the media, Asaram’s lawyer said that he would go to the Gujarat High Court against this decision of the court. Earlier, Sessions Court Judge DK Soni had reserved his decision on Monday.
According to Special Public Prosecutor RC Kodekar, Asaram has been convicted for illegal detention of the victim under Indian Penal Code Section 376 (c) (ie rape), Section 377 (unnatural sexual offence) and other provisions.
On the other hand, Asaram’s lawyer CB Gupta said, ‘It is being called the incident of 2001, but its complaint has been registered in 2013. After the punishment, we will file an appeal in the High Court after deliberations.
Let us tell you that in 2013, a woman from Surat had filed a case of rape and illegal confinement against Asaram Bapu and seven others. One of the accused had died during the trial.
The police had filed a charge sheet in this case in July 2014. According to the FIR lodged at Ahmedabad’s Chandkheda police station, Asaram raped the victim several times between 2001 and 2006 at his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city.
On April 25, 2018, the Jodhpur court convicted self-styled godman Asaram Bapu in the rape case of a minor and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Asaram is locked in jail for five years before the sentence is pronounced.
That is, overall, Asaram is in jail for the last 10 years.
