A Jodhpur trial court has convicted self-proclaimed godman Asaram on Wednesday, 25 April, of raping a 16-year-old girl on the night of 15 August 2013. He has been convicted under IPC Section 376 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Despite the Defence pushing for 10 years of imprisonment for Asaram, considering his age and ill health, the Jodhpur court special judge sentenced Asaram Bapu to life imprisonment
As per the directions of the Rajasthan High Court, the trial court delivered its verdict in the Jodhpur’s Central Jail premises where the 77-year-old Asaram has been lodged for the past over four years.
The Jodhpur Central Jail was turned into a fortress on the judgment day. Local police beefed up security, and detained several supporters of Asaram.
The victim had said in her complaint that Asaram called her to his ashram in Manai area near Jodhpur and raped her on the night of 15 August 2013. The teenager from Shahajanpur in Uttar Pradesh was studying at the self-styled godman's ashram at Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh.
After the verdict, the father of the rape survivor thanked the judiciary for delivering justice to the family. "Asaram is convicted, we have got justice. I want to thank everyone who supported us in this fight. I also hope the witnesses who were murdered or kidnapped get justice."
Asaram's lawyer Vikas Pahwa claimed that the survivor was not a minor and so the POSCO Act and the Juvenile Justice Act are not applicable on Asaram. He also claimed that there were contradictions in the victim’s statements during trial.
During the course of the trial, Asaram was also accused of threatening, attacking and killing key witnesses of the case.
Asaram and his son Narayan Sai are facing trial for another alleged rape and illegal confinement of two sisters at their ashram in Surat
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(With inputs from PTI)
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