Asaram facing rape trial also in Gandhinagar

Asumal Harpalani alias Asaram, who was sentenced by a Jodhpur court on Wednesday to life imprisonment for raping a minor, faces another charge of rape in Gujarat. He is accused of raping a former follower who lived at his ashram in Motera, Ahmedabad, between 1996 and 2007.

The complaint was filed with the Surat police in 2013 after Asaram was booked for raping a schoolgirl in Jodhpur. Two sisters filed the complaint. One accused Asaram of raping her at the Motera ashram, while the other sister charged his son Narayan Sai of rape.

A chargesheet was filed by a special investigation team (SIT) in Gandhinagar court citing 101 witnesses, including Asaram’s cook, who was originally named as an accused by one of the victims.


The chargesheet filed in January 2015 contained graphic description of Asaram’s sexual assault, as narrated by the woman. The investigation report projected him as a sexual pervert and charged him with raping the woman who was under his guardianship. Besides invoking Section 376 (2)(c) of IPC — raping an inmate of a jail, remand home, place, or institution in one’s control — the cops have also slapped Section 377 against Asaram, accusing him of forcing the victim to have unnatural sex.

With Asaram, six women including his wife, daughter, and four ashram office-bearers have been booked for conspiracy and illegal confinement. All seven persons are facing trial in the Gandhinagar court, before which 26 witnesses have been examined. The rape survivor is being cross-examined at present. Her testimony has lasted for two months with interruptions caused by legal points raised by defence lawyers.

Asaram was also charged with attempt to murder after one of his former followers, Raju Chandak, was shot in Chandkheda area. Chandak and Asaram fell out after two children — Dipesh and Abhishek — were killed in mysterious circumstances in July 2008. Public uproar spurred a probe. Asaram was examined by an inquiry commission over the death of the children. The state government has not yet tabled the inquiry commission’s report in the assembly.