A Jodhpur police team arrived in Indore and by 8.30 pm on Saturday went to question rape accused Asaram Bapu at his ashram there, where he went into hiding on arrival from Bhopal Friday night. The self-styled godman, who has continuously kept dodging the Jodhpur police, could be arrested anytime now.
It is learnt that the Union home ministry has sought a report from the Rajasthan government, and thus pressure is building on the Jodhpur police to speed up its probe into the sexual abuse of a a 15-year old girl who was a student at Asaram’s Chhindwara Ashram in Madhya Pradesh. The rape victim accused the self-styled godman of sexually assaulting her at his ashram in Jodhpur.
When a police team from Jodhpur entered the ashram in Indore on Saturday night, Asaram immediately began a “satsang” with his followers, around 2,000 in number. There was heavy police deployment at the ashram, where top district administration and police officers gathered, as the Jodhpur police team was kept waiting over an hour for the satsang to end so that they could question Asaram. Asaram’s son Narain Sai added to the confusion by saying his father goes to sleep at 10 pm. It is learnt the satsang ended around 9.45 pm.
Earlier on Saturday the Jodhpur police said Asaram Bapu was “fit for interrogation” but they would have to check if he was fit to travel. The police further said government doctors in the state capital had declared on Friday that Asaram was not fit to travel. Jodhpur DCP Ajay Lamba said if Asaram failed to offer a credible defence, he would be arrested.
The police has, meanwhile, been questioning Shiva, an aide of Asaram,who surrendered on Saturday. Teams were also beings sent to bring in two more aides, Mr Lamba said.
A television news journalist received a head injury and his camera was damaged by followers of Asaram, who attacked him and many other journalists near his Jodhpur ashram in Rajasthan on Saturday. Mr Lamba said 13 of Asaram’s supporters, including the ashram in-charge and a woman, had been arrested for the attack on the media. They were booked for attempt to murder and robbery.
The Jodhpur police had served him a summons last Wednesday at Indore and given him a deadline till Friday to appear for questioning in the sexual abuse case. Asaram had sought time till September 20 citing prior engagements, but the Jodhpur police had turned down this demand. From Indore, Asaram went to Surat and from there came to Bhopal on Thursday to attend the last rites of his son’s father-in-law.
The plot to dodge the Jodhpur police thickened with the expiry of the Friday deadline set by the Jodhpur police. He left Bhopal for Indore like a fugitive on Friday night. He was spotted by mediapersons at Dewas, but the mystery about his whereabouts deepened as the Indore police kept saying till Saturday afternoon that Asaram was not inside the Indore ashram. It was only later on Saturday afternoon that the Indore collector told the media that Asaram was inside the ashram. Asaram’s son, who chose to speak to the media at the Indore ashram on Saturday evening, emphasised that his father was not running away from the police. He confirmed he was inside the ashram since Friday night and apologised for the violence perpetuated on the media by Asaram’s followers.