Self-styled 'godman' with millions of followers jailed for life for raping minor

Self-styled 'godman' with millions of followers jailed for life for raping minor

A self-styled "godman" has been given a life sentence in India for raping a minor at his monastery in 2013.

Asaram Bapu was given the maximum punishment by a special court after being convicted of assaulting the child, who was brought to his ashram by her parents for treatment.

They were told their daughter was possessed by an evil spirit and could be cured by the godman.

In her complaint to the police, the minor said she was sexually assaulted and threatened by the godman when she was alone with him.

Image: A supporter of India's ruling Congress party uses her sandal to hit a picture of spiritual leader Asaram

Bapu has been in prison during the trial for fear of violence from his supporters.

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Four North Indian states were put on high alert and thousands of policemen deployed as a precautionary measure.

Bapu has over 400 ashrams, or monasteries, in the country - and millions of followers worldwide.

His arrest in September 2013 triggered a spate of violence by his followers who stopped trains and blocked highways - attacking policemen and reporters who were covering the case.

Image: The self-styled godman blesses followers from atop a makeshift trolley in 2013

The administration took no chances on Wednesday and took precautionary measures in all places where the godman had a large following.

Two of Bapu's close associates were also convicted for conspiracy and jailed for 20 years each, while two others were acquitted because there was a lack of evidence.

The victim's father said: "We are happy with the verdict. We have gone through a lot of hardships over the last five years, our lives were threatened."

Image: Police patrol outside Jodhpur Central Jail, where Asaram Bapu has been held since September 2013

Neelam Dubey, a spokeswoman for the Asaram Ashram, told reporters they will appeal against the verdict in a higher court after speaking with their legal team.

This case had generated a lot of controversy over the past five years.

Nine witnesses who dared to testify against the godman were attacked and three of them were killed.

Kartik Haldar, an associate of Bapu's, was arrested by the Gujarat anti-terror squad and charged with the alleged murders of the three witnesses.

In another case, police in Rajasthan filed a charge sheet against the godman for allegedly filming sexual assaults on women to blackmail them.

Image: Protesters burn an effigy of Asaram Bapu in the west Indian city of Ahmedabad in 2013

Two sisters from Surat in Gujrat have also filed cases of alleged rape and sexual exploitation against the godman and his family.

There have been several rape cases involving minors in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, there were nationwide protests against the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Khatua in Jammu and Kashmir.

At the same time, a legislator of the ruling government was accused of raping a minor in Uttar Pradesh.

The accused in both cases have been arrested and cases have been filed against them.

Image: Volunteers stand at the entrance to one of Bapu's ashrams - also known as monasteries

The brutality of the cases generated a lot of pressure which has forced the federal government to promulgate an ordinance. Under the new law, the death penalty could be awarded to those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a social movement to ensure safety for women and girls.

He said: "Families will have to enhance the honour and respect of daughters. Families should also make their sons more responsible."

Image: Protests were held after the minor made allegations of sexual assault to police

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 34,651 rape cases were registered in 2017 - 96 a day on average.

Laws relating to crimes against women were changed in 2013 after the gang rape and murder of a medical student in Delhi in December 2012.

Since then, fast-track courts have been established to try cases of crimes against women, and laws have been made more stringent and punishments more severe.

Despite this, conviction rates have been abysmally poor.</s>The judge read out the verdict against Asaram Bapu inside a prison in the city of Jodhpur in the northwestern Rajasthan state. Heavy security was deployed in the region to prevent possible violent attacks by Bapu's followers.

The 77-year-old self-styled spiritual guru was convicted for raping a 16-year-old devotee in 2013 at his Utsav Bains ashram (spiritual center).

Bapu faces a maximum punishment of life in prison for the crime, the victim's lawyer told Indian media on Wednesday.

Judge Madhusudhan Sharma will announce the prison term after hearing arguments from the prosecution and Bapu's lawyers.

The case is the latest involving high-profile gurus who have been jailed for sexually abusing their female devotees. In August last year, flamboyant Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim was sentenced to 20 years in jail on charges of raping two women. Rahim's supporters took to the streets following the verdict, clashing with police and setting public property on fire.

Read more: Followers of convicted Indian guru Ram Rahim Singh end standoff with soldiers

Asaram Bapu was arrested in 2013 after the victim reported to the police that the guru raped her when she visited his ashram with her mother. She claimed that Bapu lured her by promising to cleanse her of evil spirits.

The guru denies the allegations and can appeal against the verdict in a higher court.

Bapu has some 400 ashrams around the world that teach meditation and yoga. According to his website, he has millions of followers in many parts of the world.

He is also accused of raping another woman in Gujarat between 2002 and 2004.

The sprawling network of godmen, gurus and swamis in the Hindu-majority country of more than a billion people has increasingly come under scrutiny for alleged sexual crimes.

Some social commentators in India say millions of Indians seem to be in thrall of these smooth-talking "godmen" who have built vast empires preying on their gullibility.

Bhavdeep Kang, author of "Gurus: Stories of India's Leading Babas" believes that godmen are rarely held accountable, least of all by their devotees.

"The centrality of the godman in the lives of their flock - as spiritual preceptor, family confidante and business advisor - creates a dependency syndrome, making the devotee as invested in the purity of the guru as the guru himself," Kang told DW.

A number of rape cases in the past few years has also shocked the South Asian country, with the government introducing stricter punishments for rapists.</s>An Indian court has found Asaram Bapu, a spiritual leader who has founded hundreds of ashrams in India, guilty of raping a teenage girl and sentenced him to life in prison. The much-watched case has prompted worries about possible reprisals from the guru's followers.

Asaram has denied the charges and he plans to appeal, according to a special notice on his organization's website.

The guru is in his late 70s. The case against him stems from 2013, when he was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting the girl, who was then 16. He has been jailed since then, with courts refusing multiple attempts at bail.

The teen's parents had been followers of the guru; they brought her to one of his ashrams to receive spiritual instruction — but instead, he forced her into sex acts, a court in Jodhpur, in the western state of Rajasthan, said on Wednesday. After the girl told her parents what had happened, they contacted authorities.

"I am happy to get justice ... We had complete faith in the judiciary and are happy that we got justice," said the father of the rape survivor on Wednesday, according to the Hindustan Times — which added that police were deployed to ensure the family's safety ahead of the ruling.

Asaram is the second high-profile guru who has recently been felled by rape charges. Last summer, spiritual leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Sing — the "Guru of Bling" — was convicted of rape. That verdict brought violent protests from the guru's followers in two states, Haryana and Punjab, resulting in a military curfew.

Born Asumal Harpalani, Asaram became a guru in the 1960s. His website claims that at the time of his arrest, he had at least 40 million followers. Asaram began opening ashrams in the early 1970s. In addition to hundreds of those facilities, he owns two magazines, according to the DNA India website.

Both Asaram and his son are also named in at least two other rape cases. Those separate accusations were lodged by two sisters who live in the state of Gujarat and say they were repeatedly sexually assaulted in incidents that date from a little more than 10 years ago.

Asaram's followers have said that the charges against him are part of an attack on Hindu culture.</s>A self-styled Indian spiritual guru who claims millions of followers worldwide has been given a life sentence for raping a 16-year-old girl.

Asaram Bapu carried out the 2013 attack at his ashram in the northern city of Jodhpur, the court ruled. He is expected to appeal.

The guru, who is 77, has 400 ashrams around the world where he teaches meditation and yoga.

He is also on trial in another rape case in western Gujarat state.

Jodhpur is on high alert because of concerns there could be violence from the guru’s supporters, reports BBC Hindi’s Priyanka Dubey who is in the city.
• How a divided India fuelled the rise of the gurus
• Why so many Indians flock to gurusn

“Nothing can compensate for the trauma that the victim and the family have gone through,” Utsav Bains, the victim’s lawyer, told NDTV ahead of sentencing.

The security measures come after followers of another guru, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, ran amok after he was found guilty of rape last year. The resulting violence killed 23 people.

What was the case against Asaram?

Asaram was arrested in 2013 after a case of sexual assault was filed against him by two of his followers, who alleged that he had assaulted their daughter.

Police say that the couple, who had sent the girl to one of his ashrams for spiritual lessons, were summoned to see her as she was “under the influence of some supernatural ghostly powers”.

They were then told to take their daughter to Jodhpur to meet the guru.

The family reached the Jodhpur ashram on 14 August. The following night, Asaram called the victim to his room on the pretext of “curing” her. He then raped the victim while her parents waited outside chanting his prayers, police say.

Police say the guru forced the victim to perform sexual acts on him and threatened to murder her family if she spoke about the incident.

The victim told her parents what had happened the following day. They tried to confront Asaram, but were refused entry to his ashrams.

Asumal Harpalani was born in April 1941 in a village called Bernai in Sindh region in present-day Pakistan.

His family migrated to Ahmadabad city in Gujarat after the partition of India.

In the 1960s, he started practising spiritualism with different gurus – one of whom gave him the name Asaram. He formed his first ashram in 1972 on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Motera town of Gujarat.

His influence spread to different parts of India and around the world in the following decades.

According to his website, he has 40 million followers around the world and has built 400 spiritual retreats across 19 countries.

Important Indian politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have attended his sermons in the past.

He also has properties worth millions of dollars across India. The police are also investigating him for corruption and forgery.

Asaram is also accused of raping another woman in Surat city in Gujarat between 2002 and 2004. The trial in this case is under way.

At least nine witnesses in both cases have been attacked over the past five years – three of them have since died.

The victims’ families insist that the guru and his followers are behind these attacks – an allegation he denies.

The Jodhpur rape case, for which he has been convicted, has also seen the victim’s family threatened by his followers. BBC</s>A high-profile spiritual guru in India with a huge following was found guilty of raping a teenage girl in 2013, news reports said.

The judge announced the verdict against Asaram Bapu, 77, inside a jail in the northern state of Rajasthan on Wednesday, as heavy security was deployed in the region to prevent violence by his followers.

The guru was convicted of the rape of the 16-year-old girl at his ashram, Utsav Bains, the victim's lawyer told broadcaster NDTV.

He faces a maximum punishment of life in prison for the crime, Bains said.

Asaram has 400 ashrams that teach meditation and yoga, and he has millions of followers around the world.

The controversial guru is also on trial, along with his son, in another rape case in which two sisters have accused the men of rape.</s>Asaram Bapu, a spiritual guru who claims to have millions of followers, was given a life sentence on Wednesday for the rape of a teenage girl in 2013.

The verdict against the high profile guru was read out inside the prison in Jodhpur where he has been held amid fears that his followers might resort to violence.

The 77 year old has 400 ashrams around the world where he teaches meditation and yoga.

Bapu is also accused of raping another woman between 2002 and 2004. The trial in that case is under way.

Al Jazeera reports Security was tight around the prison complex and in states where the guru has a large following.

The trial was the latest in a series of high-profile rape cases in India that have fuelled public protests and raised questions about how police handle the attacks and treat the victims.

Last August, another popular and flamboyant Indian spiritual guru, Dr. Saint Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim Insan, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of raping two female followers.

Responding to widespread outrage over the recent rape and killings of young girls and other attacks on children, India’s government last week approved the death penalty for people convicted of raping children under age 12.

Judge Madhusudhan Sharma announced the prison term for Bapu and sentenced two of his associates to 20 years in prison each for helping him in the crime.

The judge convicted Bapu on charges of criminal conspiracy, wrongful confinement and rape.

Bapu has denied the charges, and a spokesman, Neelam Dubey, said he would appeal the verdict in a higher court.

The girl in her complaint to police in 2013 accused Bapu of raping her when she visited his retreat in Jodhpur with her mother. She was 16 at the time. The girl’s family said they had been followers of Bapu for more than a decade.

Bapu has been in prison since his arrest in 2013. He ran more than 230 ashrams with residential schools with millions of followers across India and abroad, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Uganda and Kenya.</s>An Indian guru with 40 million followers was today found guilty of raping a teenage devotee while pretending to rid her of evil spirits.

Asaram Bapu was convicted at a closed jailhouse court hearing in Jodhpur, India, while hundreds of police stood guard.

The 77-year-old leads more than 400 ashrams in India and around the world. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The white-bearded guru, who urges followers to live a pious life free of sexual desires, has always denied raping the then-16-year-old at an ashram in the city.

He can appeal the verdict and forthcoming sentence for the 2013 crime to a higher court.

Asaram raped the girl while her parents waited outside his room chanting prayers as he 'cured' her and threatened to kill her family if she told anyone.

The hearing was closed to media and the prison surrounded by tight security, with his sentence to be announced later in the day.

'He has been convicted for rape and sections of stringent child protection law and will get a minimum 10 years or life in prison,' the victim's lawyer Utsav Bains said.

Several Indian states were put on high alert and thousands of extra police deployed ahead of Asaram's trial with authorities fearing riots if 'Babuji' was found guilty.

Devotees of another self-styled Hindu guru Saint Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim Insan, who was jailed in 2017 for 20 years for rape, went on a rampage that lasted days and left 38 dead.

Asaram still commands a huge following but his star power has faded following the rape charges and other controversies.

He is also on trial for raping two sisters along with his son Narayan Sai, and involvement in the killing of two students at another of his Hindu retreats.

Meanwhile, the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old and a separate assault on a teenager by a ruling party politician has sparked revulsion in recent weeks and angry marches across India.

Under pressure to respond, the government last week approved the death penalty for those convicted of raping children under 12.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who was criticised for a slow response to the protests - has since promised 'to hang the people of demonic tendencies who misbehave with daughters'.

'There is a government in Delhi which listens to the hearts of the people and decides on the basis of it,' he told a political gathering Wednesday.

Officials from Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded angrily Wednesday as the main opposition Congress party distributed photos of the prime minister alongside Asaram.

Asaram's website boasts of many high-profile devotees and admirers, including Modi and other past prime ministers.</s>An Indian guru with millions of followers was found guilty Wednesday of raping a teenage devotee on the pretext of ridding her of evil spirits, a lawyer for the victim said.

Asaram Bapu, 77, who leads hundreds of ashrams in India and overseas, was convicted at a closed jailhouse court hearing in Jodhpur, in western Rajasthan state where hundreds of police stood guard Wednesday.

The white-bearded guru, who urges followers to live a pious life free of sexual desires, has always denied raping the then 16-year-old at an ashram in the city.

He is expected to be sentenced later Wednesday.

"He has been convicted for rape and sections of stringent child protection law and will get a minimum 10 years or life in prison," said Utsav Bains, a lawyer for the family, who was informed of the verdict by colleagues at the closed prison hearing in Jodhpur.

The hearing was closed to media and the prison surrounded by tight security.

Several Indian states were put on high alert and thousands of extra police deployed ahead of Asaram's trial with authorities fearing riots if "Babuji" was found guilty.

Devotees of another self-styled Hindu guru, who was jailed in 2017 for 20 years for rape, went on a rampage that lasted days and left 38 dead.

Asaram still commands a huge following but his star power has faded following the rape charges and other controversies.

He is also accused of raping another devotee and involvement in the killing of two students at another of his Hindu retreats.</s>A Jodhpur court is all set to pronounce the verdict in a high-profile rape case involving self-styled godman Asaram Bapu today. The verdict will be delivered inside the premises of Jodhpur Central Jail, where Asaram Bapu is lodged since 2013. According to reports, the court will meet at 10:30 am inside the jail and verdict could be delivered by 11:30 am. If the court convicts Asaram Bapu, who is accused of sexually assaulting a minor at his ashram in Mani village near here, he could be sentenced to jail for anywhere between 10 years to a life term.

To prevent Panchkula-like incidents, the district administration has made all arrangements by deploying adequate amount security forces in and around the city. The decision to pronounce the verdict in the jail premises was also taken keeping in view the clashes that had been reported since his arrest.

Asaram was arrested in 2013 on the complaint filed by a teenage girl from Uttar Pradesh’s Shahajahanpur. She had accused him of raping her at his Jodhpur ashram. The victim was a student at Asaram’s ashram here. He was later booked under stringent sections of the POCSO Act and SC/ST Act.

A timeline of events in the case:

August 15: The crime allegedly takes place at his ashram in Mani village near Jodhpur.

August 20: Parents of the victim file a zero FIR against the self-styled godman in Delhi. The case was later handed over to the Jodhpur Police.

August 28: Victim’s father demands death penalty for Asaram Bapu. His son Narayan Sai describes the minor as ‘mentally unstable’.

August 29: Asaram Bapu alleges that he was being targeted by the then Congress-led UPA government.

August 31: Asaram Bapu was arrested by the Jodhpur Police from Indore. He is behind the bars since then.

September 1: Asaram Bapu taken to Jodhpur from his Indore ashram. A local court sends him to jail. Unhappy with the court’s order, his supporters create ruckus outside the court here.

September 17: Asaram’s lawyer Ram Jethmalani says the victim was afflicted with a chronic disease, which draws a woman to a man.

September 24: A local court in Jodhpur rejects Asaram’s plea seeking a direction restraining media from reporting on the issue.

October 7: Locals ransack Asaram’s ashram in Kardhani area of Jhotwara in Jaipur.

October 8: Asaram Bapu asks the SC to restrain the media from carrying reports about him, his family and his ashrams.

October 11: A Jodhpur court allows Gujarat police custody of Asaram for interrogation in connection with a sexual assault case lodged by two Surat sisters.

October 19: Reports of the second potency test conducted on Asaram Bapu were positive. The test was conducted in Ahmedabad. The reports were similar to the one obtained from Jodhpur last month.

October 21: The Supreme Court refuses to entertain a plea of Asaram for restraining the media from covering the rape case.

November 1: Asaram tells the Supreme Court that he was being projected as a ‘Dracula’. He says this after the court declined to restrain media from covering the case.

November 6: Jodhpur police files chargesheet. The chargesheet names Asaram Bapu and four more. Police books Asaram under sections of POCSO Act and SC/ST Act. He is also charged under Sections 342 (for wrongful confinement), 354A (sexual harassment), 370(4) (trafficking), 376(2)f (rape on a woman when she is under twelve years of age), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509/34 and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

November 8: Rajasthan High Court orders the Jodhpur District and Sessions court to start daily proceedings.

In the same month, the court took cognizance of the chargesheet filed against Asaram Bapu. After determining the charges, the court slated the next hearing in the case for December 4, when the trial will begin.

December 9: Asaram Bapu terms BJP’s win in the Rajasthan Assembly elections as the ‘victory of truth’.

January 28: Jabalpur local authorities demolished Asaram’s ashram situated at Chowkitaal in Bhedhaghat area. Nearly 7,000 square feet construct was demilised. The construction was done illegally.

March 6: The in-camera trial to begin at the District and Sessions Court on March 19, with the victim deposing on 25 March.

March 20: Asaram admitted to Ayurveda hospital in Jodhpur following complaints of insomnia and body ache.

March 22: Asaram Bapu’s ashram sealed by Jaipur Development Authority. The ashram was encroaching on the government land.

April 10: A Jodhpur court rejects the third bail application of Asaram Bapu. He had sought bail on health grounds.

April 29: The prosecution moves court seeking probe into the nexus between the jail and Ayurveda University hospital administration to help Asaram avoid court appearances. The prosecution also demands the continuation of trial in his absence. It claims that Asaram was not appearing in court on health grounds despite doctors declaring him fit.

May 8: A Jodhpur court rejects Asaram Bapu’s plea challenging the age of the minor girl. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 on him.

May 19: The Supreme Court delays hearing on Asaram’s bail plea till 3 July.

June 10: Asaram’s former aide and Ayurveda doctor Amrut Prajapati dies at his residence in Ahmedabad. He was attacked by two unidentified assailants in Rajkot on 23 May.

September 23: Supreme Court rejects bail plea of Asaram Bapu. The court said that the ground cited by him was not of such urgency to grant him bail.

October 15: Supreme Court directs AIIMS Director to set up a medical board to review medical reports. The medical board was also asked to clinically examine Asaram if required.

December 1: The SC said that it will hear his bail plea in January after winter vacation. The court also observed that there is no medical urgency to grant bail to Asaram and he cannot be given special treatment. The apex court asked him to undergo medical test at AIIMS. The also refused to pass any order on he should be brought from Jodhpur jail to the national capital. The court said that it is for the state government to decide on it.

December 31: Asaram Bapu leaves for Delhi by train for a medical test at AIIMS, as directed by the Supreme Court.

January 1, 2015: A medical board of AIIMS comprising seven members examines Asaram Bapu following a SC direction in connection with his bail application. He was examined between 2 pm and 6 pm.

January 5: A report submitted by a panel of AIIMS doctors to the Supreme Court said that Asaram does not need any surgery and his ailments can be managed through medicines.

January 11: Akhil Gupta, one of Asaram’s cook who had turned into a witness, shot dead outside his house in UP’s Muzaffarnagar.

February 13: Another witness, Rahul K Sachan, stabbed outside the court in Jodhpur.

February 14: Family of slain witness Akhil Gupta says they are living under threat. They said this following an attack in Jodhpur on a witness.

May 12: Rajasthan High Court rejects two petitions filed by Asaram Bapu and upheld the trial court’s decision to allow the prosecution to present documents in the court to prove that the victim was minor when the crime had taken place.

May 14: Witness Mahendra Chawla, who had served as Asaram’s personal assistant between 2001 and 2005, shot dead at his house in Panipat.

June 16: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy fails to appear for the fourth consecutive time at a local court to argue for his bail.

June 20: Jodhpur court rejects Asaram Bapu’s bail plea. This was the sixth time his bail plea was rejected.

July 8: A witness, Sudha Pathank turned hostile. She told the court that she had no knowledge about Asaram Bapu’s activities.

July 10: Witness Kripal Singh shot dead by two motorcycle-borne gunmen in Shahjahanpur. Kripal was an LIC agent. He became the third witness in the cases to be shot.

July 2015: The Rajasthan HC rejects an interim bail plea of Asaram Bapu.

August 5: Asaram Bapu moves Rajasthan High Court challenging the decision of the trial court to hold the trial in the rape case.

October 24: The CBI begins probe into the murder of Akhil Gupta.

March 4: The Supreme Court declines to pass a direction for a CBI probe into the mysterious disappearance of Rahul Sachan.

March 16: A Shahjahanpur court issued non-bailable warrant against two associates of Asaram Bapu in connection with the murder of Kripal Singh.

March 20: Father of the girl claims he was threatened by an unidentified person to withdraw the case or face dire consequences.

April 20: Seers of Nirmohi Akhara purified Asaram’s ashram near Ujjain by sprinkling Gangajal. Sadhus claim that Asaram is not fit to call himself as a saint for his acts.

June 17: Asaram Bapu named as ‘wanted’ accused in the charge sheet filed by the police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) in the case of attack on a witness, who had deposed against him.

June 22: According to a report in The Indian Express, an Income Tax probe into the charitable trusts controlled by Asaram Bapu revealed undisclosed income of Rs 2,300 crore since 2008-09.

July 19: Asaram Bapu’s close aide Niraj Kumar, who was evading arrest in connection with the murder of Akhil Gupta, a prime witness in the case, arrested from Mirakpur village in UP’s Saharanpur.

August 4: Police move a plea in Rajasthan High Court for shifting the trial to jail premises in Jodhpur.

August 9: The Rajasthan High Court rejects his bail application. This was his ninth regular bail application to be rejected.

August 11: The Supreme Court denies interim bail to Asaram Bapu. The court directs AIIMS to set up a medical board to ascertain his health condition before taking up his regular bail plea.

August 29: The SC allows Asaram to be taken to AIIMS in Delhi from Jodhpur jail for medical examination. The court passed this order after a three-member panel of doctors from AIIMS informed the SC that equipment for evaluation of Asaram’s medical condition were not available in Jodhpur jail.

September 27: According to media reports, Asaram Bapu embarrasses a nurse by likening her with butter and her cheeks to juicy Kashmiri apples.

October 3: A medical board of the AIIMS tells Supreme Court that Asaram’s health was stable.

October 18: The Supreme Court asks the Rajasthan government to respond to the bail pleas of Asaram Bapu.

October 24: The Supreme Court rejects his interim bail plea on health grounds. The court asks him to undergo treatment in Rajasthan under judicial custody itself. Asaram had in his plea said that he wanted to undergo an ayurvedic treatment in Delhi. He had applied for one month’s interim bail.

October 27: Asaram Bapu moves Supreme Court seeking modification of its order directing him to undergo treatment at AIIMS in Jodhpur. Asaram through his counsel says that AIIMS, Jodhpur does not have in-patient facility and direction be issued to bring him to AIIMS, Delhi for further treatment.

January 30: The Supreme Court rejects Asaram Bapu’s bail plea. He had sought bail on medical grounds.

August 31: Shahjahanpur district administration tightens the security of the rape victim. Two more security personnel were deployed at her residence. The district administration says that half a dozen police personnel, including a lady constable, will remain on duty. The decision was taken close on the heels of Supreme Court questioning the tardy pace of trial.

September 12: Apex body of Hindu saints Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) releases a list of 14 fake babas. It also named Asaram Bapu.

September 15: Responding to a question on the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad calling him a fake sadhu, Asaram said that he belonged to the category of ‘donkeys’.

April 7: Final argument in the case ends in the court of SC/ST Cases Special Judge Madhu Sudan Sharma. The court reserves verdict for April 25.

April 17: The Rajasthan High Court orders trial court to pronounce its judgment inside the Jodhpur Central Jail to prevent breach of law and order situation.

April 25: A local court in Jodhpur to pronounce the verdict.</s>JODHPUR, India: 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 any backlash from his disciples. “Asaram has been sentenced for life until death,” Rajendra Singh, a defense lawyer, told AFP outside the court in the western city of Jodhpur.

The white-bearded guru, 77, 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 other co-accused, including a woman, were also found guilty and sentenced to 20 years. Two others accused in the case were acquitted.

 The hearing was closed to media and the prison surrounded by tight security, with thousands of police deployed across parts of India amid fears his devotees could riot. The influential guru, who has been in custody since 2013, had called the trial a political conspiracy and refused to cooperate with a police investigation. A perceived reluctance to bring the charismatic leader to account sparked public outrage. He still commands a devoted following even though his star power is fading following the rape charges and other controversies.

Asaram’s followers have been accused of using violence against those who have spoken out against the guru. Two close aides who turned key witnesses against him were murdered in 2014 and 2015. Asaram is also accused of raping another devotee and suspected of involvement in the killing of two other people. His son is also on trial for rape. But this conviction was the first for the Hindu televangelist and yoga guru, who once attracted seas of fans to hear his sermons. “We argued that Asaram is not a saint,” public prosecutor Pokar Ram Bishnoi told reporters after the sentencing.

Asaram became restless in his teens and ran away from the family home in Gujarat state. He flitted between jobs, selling liquor and fixing bicycles, before landing in an ashram where he found his true calling. He established his first spiritual retreat in Ahmedabad in the 1970s with just 10 members, extolling a simple life and urging his followers to control their lust. A particular target was Valentine’s Day, which he decried as a corrupting force luring youth into “dirty acts”.

Dressed in a crisp white sarong and signature red turban, his daily sermons – later televised to millions – offered yoga instruction and tips on celibacy. He recommended cow’s milk for appendicitis and honey to treat cancer. He attracted friends in high places and many of the ashrams which mushroomed in his heyday were on land donated by successive state governments. Asaram’s movement grew from India’s rural heartland to an empire with 400 ashrams and Ayurveda health centers estimated to be worth more than half a billion dollars.

India is already outraged at the gang-rape and murder of an eight-year-old and a separate assault on a teenager by a ruling party politician. Prime Minister Narendra Modi – who was criticized for a slow response to the crimes – last week approved the death penalty for child rapists, vowing to hang those “of demonic tendencies who misbehave with daughters”. Officials from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party responded angrily yesterday as the main opposition Congress party distributed photos of the prime minister alongside Asaram. Asaram’s website boasts of many high-profile believers and admirers, including Modi and other past prime ministers.

Many of India’s numerous “godmen” have been embroiled in scandal. Last year, when a spiritual leader was jailed for 20 years for rape, his devotees went on a rampage that left 38 dead. In 2014 the guru Rampal Maharaj barricaded himself in his ashram surrounded by armed devotees after a court issued a warrant for his arrest. Six people died during the siege. – AFP
Indian guru Asaram Bapu is sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a child.