'Bandaa': The True Story Behind Manoj Bajpayee's Courtroom Drama on Asaram Bapu

Manoj Bajpayee's 'Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai' is inspired by the real-life events of advocate PC Solanki.

Manoj Bajpayee's latest courtroom drama, Srif Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, premiered on Zee5 on 23 May. Inspired by the real-life events of advocate Poonam Chand Solanki, who fought the 2013 Asaram Bapu rape case, the film has been courting controversy since the release of its trailer.

So much so that Asaram's charitable trust, Sant Shri Asaramji Ashram Charitable Trust, sent a legal notice to the makers, alleging that their film is "highly objectionable and defamatory", as per reports.

But who is Asaram Bapu? What was the real story behind the infamous case that inspired the film? And what was PC Solanki's role in it? Let's revisit the history.

Who is Asaram Bapu?

Asaram Bapu, born Asumal Sirumalani Harpalani, is one of India's most influential self-styled Godmen. However, the self-proclaimed Godman is infamous for his crimes.

Born in Sindh (now Pakistan) in 1941, Asaram moved to Ahmedabad with his family post-partition. Following his father's death, he reportedly took over the latter's coal and wood business and soon shifted to Gujarat's Vijapur in Mehsana.

In his adolescent years, Asaram left his home several times in search of spirituality at several ashrams.

In October 1964, Asumal finally met his spiritual guru, Leelashahji Maharaj, and became his disciple in October 1964. Leelashahji named him Sant Shri Asaramji Maharaj. However, he was soon thrown out of Leelashahji's ashram.

In 1972, he established his first ashram in Gujrat's Motera village, starting with just five to ten followers. Later, after he moved to Surat, he gained more supporters among the tribals there.

Today, Asaram's charitable trust runs over 400 ashrams, some of which are located abroad, and at least one in every Indian state except for Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and the Northeast. In addition, he also owns 40 gurukuls, a sizable printing press, and an Ayurveda unit.

According to The Indian Express, Asaram's trust has been accused of setting up ashrams on encroached land in several states. Owing to his large following, several politicians were drawn to him, and both the BJP and Congress governments allotted him land for his projects.

The 2013 Rape Case

(Trigger warning: mentions and descriptions of sexual assault and physical abuse)

In 2013, a 16-year-old girl from Shahajahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, accused the 'Godman' of raping her at his Manai village ashram near Jodhpur on 15 August.

It was alleged that Asaram sexually assaulted the girl while performing a ritual intended to "cure her of evil". The girl, who was a student at the ashram, accused Asaram of inappropriately touching her and asking her to perform oral sex on him.

The girl's parents, who were both disciples of Asaram, filed a police complaint against him, following which he was arrested and flown to Jodhpur.

The 81-year-old Asaram was sentenced to life imprisonment by Gandhinagar’s sessions court. He filed several bail petitions and appealed against the conviction in the Supreme Court for the suspension of his life sentence. However, all his pleas were rejected.

The chargesheet filed against him accused four others of blackmail in exchange for sexual favours.

Asaram was charged with violating Indian Penal Code Sections 376 (rape), 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 509 (insulting the modesty of any woman), as well as Section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and Sections 23 and 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act, as per reports.

Allegations of Witness Tampering

During Asaram's imprisonment, several key witnesses in the case went missing or were attacked, including the Godman's doctor, Amrut Prajapat, his cook, Akhil Gupta, and witness Kripal Singh, who were all shot dead individually.

Two more witnesses in the case, Mahendra Chawala and Rahul Sachan, were attacked on the premises of the Jodhpur court in 2015. However, they survived and eventually deposed Asaram.

Who is PC Solanki?

Advocate Poonam Chand Solanki, aka PC Solanki, was the legal counsel for the 16-year-old girl in the 2013 rape case against Asaram.

As per reports, Solanki was born to a former railway mechanic in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He is the sole brother of his three sisters. Despite having limited resources, his family ensured that Solanki finished his education and subsequently went to law school.

In 1996, Solanki became a member of the bar.

In 2014, Solanki was approached by the parents of the minor to fight the case against Asaram. As per reports, Solanki went up against legal stalwarts like Salman Khursheed, Subramanian Swamy, Ram Jethmalani, and KTS Tulsi, who were among the many lawyers Asaram changed for his defence in the case.

In one of his interviews with The Times of India, Solanki revealed that he was initially offered crores of money and later threatened to step out of the case. But he remained committed to the case.

"We were fighting for truth and not doing this for money. It was a different scenario where the defense had lawyers charged lakhs for each hearing. I got innumerable threats and people even offered me in crores of rupees. But what was pleasing and gratifying was the smile and hope on the faces of the girl and her father."

PC Solanki told TOI

When Solanki was roped in as a lawyer for the case, he made it a point that he wouldn't charge a penny from the minor's family, as they were financially incapable at the time.

"When we have to fight the corrupt and criminally inclined godman, we need to show ourselves sound and committed within a legal framework. I am thankful to so many seniors who inculcated the right values in me while I started practising," Solanki further told TOI.

Other Accusations Against Asaram

Surat Rape Case: While Asaram was still in jail, another complaint of rape against him was unearthed. In October 2013, two Surat-based sisters filed a case of rape and illegal confinement against Asaram and seven others, including his son Narayan Sai, wife Laxmi and daughter Bharati.

The elder sister, who lodged the FIR at the Chandkheda police station in Ahmedabad, accused Asaram of sexually molesting her on multiple occasions between 2001 and 2006 during her stay at his Ahmedabad ashram. The younger sister alleged that she was raped by Asaram's son, Narayan Sai, at his Surat Ashram.

In addition to the life sentence, Asaram was charged under two other laws, which increased his prison term by 20 more years.

Black Magic and Child Deaths: In addition to the rape cases, Asaram and his followers were also accused of practising black magic and human sacrifice. In 2008, two young boys went missing from the Godman's Motera ashram and were later found mutilated. Following the tragedy, the children's parents lodged a legal complaint against Asaram.

However, Asaram and his son were cleared in the matter. The Commission of Justice, headed by Justice D.K. Trivedi, blamed the ashram's administration for the deaths.

Where is Asaram Bapu Now?

Following several rape accusations, the Jodhpur Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Court in April 2018 convicted Asaram guilty of rape and pronounced a verdict of life imprisonment against him. The verdict also announced a fine of Rs 5,00,000 that was to be paid by the Godman's trust to the victims. Asaram continues to stay in prison till date.

Manoj Bajpayee's Response to the Controversy

Recently, following the trailer release of Manoj Bajpayee's Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, Asaram's charitable trust sent a legal notice to the makers of the film alleging that Asaram's lawyers have appealed to the court to impose restrictions on the film's release, asserting that "it damages the reputation of their client and hurts the sentiments of his believers and followers."

In response to the notice, the film's producer, Asif Shaikh, stated that they have bought the rights to make a biographical film on advocate PC Solanki. He further stated that "only when the film releases will people be able to know the truth and the facts," India Today reported.

Bajpayee also commented on the controversy. In a statement given to PTI, he said, "The case is already in the public domain and the verdict is out... We have to be truthful to all those incidents that have happened. Also in our film, the most important thing is how well we treat the victim."