A court in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar on Tuesday sentenced self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, convicted in a rape case filed by a former woman disciple in 2013, to life imprisonment. It noted that the victim was younger than his daughter when she was sexually abused and termed it a “very serious crime” against the society that should be punished “to the fullest extent” to prevent the exploitation of religious people.
Sessions court judge D K Soni pronounced the ruling after hearing the arguments on the quantum of the sentence.
The court also observed Asaram doesn’t deserve sympathy given the nature of the crime and that the defence on the ground of his old age and bad health cannot be considered valid. “To prevent exploitation of religious people of the society, the perpetrators of such a heinous crime cannot be spared and should be punished to the fullest extent as prescribed by law,” the judge said in the order.
The prosecution had submitted before the court that Asaram should get the strictest punishment for the way he kept the victim captive, raped and sodomised her and forced her to remain confined in the ashram.
“The court on Tuesday sentenced Asaram Bapu to life imprisonment under sections 376 (2)(C) for rape and 377 (Unnatural offences) of the Indian Penal Code. He was also ordered to pay Rs 50,000 towards the compensation to the victim. In the remaining sections, he was sentenced to one year in jail under each count and slapped with a nominal fine,” said special public prosecutor RC Kodekar.
The sentence came a day after Asaram was convicted of raping a Surat-based woman disciple on several occasions when she was living at his ashram near Ahmedabad. As per the FIR lodged in Ahmedabad on October 6, 2013, against Asaram and six others, the self-styled godman had raped the woman disciple, on several occasions from 2001 to 2006 when she was living at his ashram at Motera near Ahmedabad before she managed to escape.
Besides IPC sections 376 (2) (C) and 377, Asaram was convicted under sections 342 (wrongful detention), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 357 (assault), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
The 81-year-old is currently lodged in a Jodhpur jail, where he is serving life sentence in another case of raping a minor girl at his ashram in Rajasthan in 2013.
‘Asaram Sexually Abused Victim Younger Than His Daughter’
In its order, the court said Asaram sexually abused a victim younger age than his daughter and committed a crime that cannot be taken lightly.
“The accused committed a very serious crime against the society and such a heinous crime cannot have any place of sympathy and should be punished to the fullest extent prescribed by law.” “It becomes the moral responsibility not only of the society but also of the court to set an example and prevent such behaviour. We all have a shared responsibility to ensure women’s safety,” the court noted.
The court also observed that in our society, a religious leader is considered a man who instils love for the divine, and leads us through devotion, religion and knowledge via ‘satsang’ (discourse) to God.
“Even in the scriptures, it is said that the Gods reside where women are given respect…If we give respect to women, we can definitely change their attitude and perspective towards men. Article 15 (3) of the Indian Constitution has also directed to make special provision for women and children,” the court said in the order.
When the victim was sexually abused, she was 20-21 years of age and Asaram 61-62, and hence it is proved that he sexually abused the victim of the age younger than his daughter, and the crime committed by him cannot be taken lightly, the court observed.
“It becomes the moral responsibility not only of the society but also of the court to set an example in the society and prevent such behaviour. When the crime against the accused has been proved beyond doubt by the prosecution, then the defence on the ground that the accused is old and in bad health cannot be considered valid,” it said.
“Also, this court strongly believes that the accused has committed a very serious crime against the society and such a heinous crime cannot have any place of sympathy and should be punished to the fullest extent prescribed by law,” it further said
Asaram ‘Habitual Offender’
The prosecution on Tuesday told the court that Asaram was a “habitual offender” and sought life imprisonment or 10 years of jail for the styled godman in the case along with a heavy fine.
“There is a provision of maximum life imprisonment or 10 years in jail for the offence for which Asaram has been convicted by the court. But, we have argued that he has already been convicted in another similar case in Jodhpur, and hence he is a habitual offender,” Kodekar had said earlier in the day after the conclusion of arguments.
“We have submitted before the court that Asaram should get the strictest punishment for the way he kept the victim captive, raped and sodomised her and forced her to remain confined in the ashram. We told the court that he should be given life imprisonment. The court should also impose a heavy fine on him, including compensation to the victim,” he added said.
The defence said the order will be challenged in the Gujarat High Court.
The court had acquitted six other accused, including Asaram’s wife Laxmiben, their daughter, and four disciples who were accused of aiding and abetting the crime, for want of evidence, the prosecution said.
Notably, the victim’s younger sister was raped and illegally confined by Asaram’s son Narayan Sai, who was later sentenced to life imprisonment by a Surat-based court in April 2019 in the rape case filed against him by his former disciple in 2013.
The victim and her sister mustered the courage to legally file charges against Asaram Bapu and Narayan Sai, who have a huge following and run a network of ashrams in India, after Asaram was arrested by the Rajasthan Police in August 2013.
A court in Jodhpur, on April 25, 2018, sentenced Asaram to life in prison after finding him guilty of raping a minor in his ashram in 2013. His two accomplices were sentenced to 20 years in jail by the court in the same case for their roles.
In December 2021, the Gujarat High Court rejected Asaram’s bail plea in the rape case, which he challenged in the Supreme Court.
The hearing of the case was held in-camera.
(With inputs from PTI)
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