Indus Valley Times

Jodhpur, April 25 (PTI/ANI): Nearly five years after rape charges were levelled against self-styled godman, Asaram Bapu, the Jodhpur Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Court is set to pronounce its verdict on Wednesday.

Asaram’s involvement was probed in two separate cases – one from Rajasthan and the other from Gujarat.

In the case registered in Rajasthan, a teenage girl from Shahajahanpur of Uttar Pradesh had accused Asaram of raping her at his ashram in Manai village near Jodhpur on the night of August 15, 2013, while in Gujarat, two Surat-based sisters lodged separate complaints against the self-styled godman and his son Narayan Sai, accusing them of rape.

Asaram was arrested in Indore and brought to Jodhpur on 1 September, 2013. He is under judicial custody since September 2, 2013.

Asaram was taken into police custody in August 2013, following which he was taken to Jodhpur Central jail. A month later, a potency test was conducted on him and was produced before a Jodhpur court. While the self-styled godman has filed a number of bail petitions, a total of 12 applications were rejected by the trial court, the Rajasthan High Court, and the Supreme Court.

In November the same year, the chargesheet filed against Asaram and four others had indicated blackmail in exchange of sexual favours, after which the former was booked under Sections 342, 376, 506 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).

In the years that followed, a number of the key witnesses in the case were attacked or went missing. In 2014, Asaram’s personal aide was shot dead, while another associate was killed in 2015 in Muzaffarnagar. In the same year, two more witnesses were attacked by unidentified individuals, while another witness went missing from Lucknow.

The Jodhpur High Court last week decided to pronounce the verdict against self-styled godman in a jail court to avoid any law and order situation in Rajasthan.

The police had filed a petition in the high court stating that Rajasthan may witness Panchkula-like violence, which broke out after the conviction of controversial godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.

Previously on Tuesday, the Centre asked Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana to tighten security and deploy additional forces ahead of the verdict.

In a communication, the Home Ministry told the three states to beef up security and ensure that no violence takes place after the judgment on Wednesday.

Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana have large number of Asaram followers.

The magistrate along with court staff, Asaram and the co-accused along with the defence and prosecution counsels will remain present in the courtroom in jail premises.

Security was also stepped up around the survivor’s house in Shahajahanpur.

The Jodhpur Court has also dismissed a petition seeking entry of media persons in Central Jail of Jodhpur for the coverage of the judgement.

Furthermore, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) will be imposed in Jodhpur till April 30.