Court in Gujarat convicts self-styled godman Asaram Bapu in rape case

District and Sessions Court judge D K Soni held Asaram guilty under IPC Sections 376 (2)(c) (being on the management or staff of a place of custody established by or under any law for the time being in force or of a woman’s or children’s insti­tution takes advantage of his official position and commits rape on any inmate of such place), 377 (unnatural sex), 342 (wrongful confinement), 506(2) (criminal intimidation), 354 (assault with intent to outrage modesty of woman), and 357 (assault to wrongfully confine a pertain).

The five acquitted of all charges are Asaram’s wife Laxmi Harpalani, Nirmalaben Lalwani, Miraben Kalvani, Dhruvben Balani, and Jashvantiben Chaudhary. According to public prosecutor R C Kodekar, the court’s acquittal of the five accused comes on the back of benefit of doubt, owing to the prosecution’s failure to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Asaram’s conviction comes on the back of prosecutrix’s evidence and deposition, which remained consistent.

The case dates back to 2013, when an FIR was lodged at Chandkheda police station — in Gandhinagar jurisdiction at the time — by a 33-year old woman, who alleged that the victim-complainant and her father were Asaram’s followers, and that the complainant was raped by the self-claimed religious leader in 2001. The complaint alleged that Asaram frequently molested and sexually assaulted the victim, purportedly in connivance with managers of his ashram.

It was the complainant’s case that she had been afraid to file the complaint given Asaram’s influential status and had mustered courage years later, after a minor lodged a complaint in Jodhpur, alleging sexual assault and molestation by Asaram. It was also the complainant’s case that her sister was also a victim of Asaram in Surat, and that both siblings decided to file the complaint after they spoke over telephone.