Godman Asaram Bapu Convicted In 2013 Surat Rape Case. A Timeline Of All That Happened
It's not the 1st time he has been held guilty of rape.
10 years ago, in 2012, the brutal Nirbhaya gang rape left us all shocked but what’s worse is that a few weeks after the crime took place, we had to hear a self-styled godman make a rather derogatory comment against the victim. Asaram Bapu had claimed that the victim is just as responsible for the crime as her rapists. He claimed that she should have called them “brothers” and begged and pleaded with the rapists to stop and they might have. He also took a stand against strict punishments for the accused. While his comments did not make sense immediately, just a few months later in August 2013, the godman was accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl. In 2018, Asaram Bapu was convicted of the crime by a Jodhpur court and sentenced to life imprisonment and now, a court in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar has convicted the godman of raping yet another woman.
On January 30, a court in Gandhinagar convicted the self-styled godman Asaram Bapu in a 2013 rape case filed by his former disciple. According to a report by Bar and Bench, Additional Sessions Judge DK Soni convicted the godman of raping the female disciple and the sentencing is set to take place on January 31. However, 6 other accused in the case including Asaram Bapu’s wife Laxmiben, their daughter and some disciples have been acquitted by the court for the lack of evidence. They were accused of aiding and abetting the crime.
A court in Gandhinagar, Gujarat has convicted controversial godman Asaram Bapu in a decade old rape case. He was booked in September 2013 on a complaint filed by a female disciple accusing him of repeatedly raping her while she was in his Ashram at Surat. #AsaramBapu pic.twitter.com/ynt2fuRstj
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) January 30, 2023
Also Read: Denying Abortion To Rape Victims Is Denial Of ‘Right To Live With Dignity’: Delhi HC
Under What Offences Has Asaram Bapu Been Convicted By Gandhinagar Court?
The self-styled godman, Asaram Bapu, was accused of repeatedly raping and confining his female disciple at one of his Asharams located on the outskirts of Surat between 2001 and 2006. As per the Gandhinagar Session Court’s judgement, the godman has been convicted under the following section of the IPC – Sections 376 for rape, 377 for unnatural sex, 354 for outraging the modesty of a woman, 346 for wrongful confinement, 120B for criminal conspiracy and 201 for destroying evidence. While the court is set to pronounce the sentence on January 31, the godman’s lawyer will be challenging the Session Court’s judgement in Gujarat High Court.
BREAKING: #GandhinagarCourt convicts self-styled godman #AsaramBapu in the 2013 rape case. pic.twitter.com/kWpyd5q9nG
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) January 30, 2023
Also Read: Asaram Gets Convicted In 2013 Rape Case. Let’s Heave a Sigh Of Relief!
A Timeline Of Everything That Happened In The 2013 Surat Rape Case
According to media reports, in October 2013, the survivor registered an FIR at Ahmedabad’s Chandkheda Police Station against Asaram Bapu, his wife, their daughter and 4 other disciples. As per the FIR, the godman confined and raped the female disciple multiple times between 2001 to 2006 at his Ashram in Motera. However, the Surat woman managed to escape. In the same year, the female disciple’s sister had accused Asaram Bapu’s son Narayan Sai of raping her and he was convicted of the crimes later in 2019 by a Surat Court. Narayan is currently serving a life imprisonment sentence.
बलात्कार मामले में आसाराम के खिलाफ आज होगा सजा का एलान.. कल कोर्ट ने दोषी करार दिया था #AsaramBapu #RapeCase #Guilty #GandhinagarSessionsCourt pic.twitter.com/x45ouwQcvl
— India TV Hindi (@IndiaTVHindi) January 31, 2023
In July 2014, the chargesheet was filed by the Police in the 2013 Surat Rape Case following the investigation. During the trial, Special Public Prosecutor RC Kodekar argued that the female disciple could not file the FIR for several years due to criminal intimidation and the same was accepted by the Gandhinagar Sessions Court. The survivor could only come out and file her complaint after the godman was accused by another woman and arrested by the Rajasthan Police in 2013. More so, since he was an influential person. As per an NDTV report, godman Asaram Bapu’s advocate revealed that the prosecution examined a total of 55 witnesses during the 9 years and 6 months-long trial.
Also Read: Rape Convict Ram Rahim Singh Out On Parole Again, DCW Slams Haryana CM For Meeting Him
Earlier, in 2018, Asaram Bapu had been convicted of raping a minor girl. According to reports, the 16-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by the self-styled godman on the pretext of exorcising evil spirits from her. At the time of the incident, the girl was staying at the godman’s ashram in Manai village in Jodhpur. In April 2018, Jodhpur Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Court held him guilty of raping the minor girl and sentenced him to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 50,000. He is currently in a Jodhpur jail serving his sentence.
In UP, Ticket Checker And Unidentified Man Gang Rape Woman On Moving Train
