There was a time when Asaram Bapu, who called himself a saint, used to throng the court of common to special people. He used to call himself God. Big celebrities were found in his court. But after being caught in the clutches of the law in rape cases, his good days were ruined. Gandhinagar court convicted him in a rape case and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The Gandhinagar court has also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Asaram, which will be given as compensation to the victim. This case of rape was registered against Asaram in 2013. However, the rape of the victim took place between 2001 and 2006. The victim’s sister had filed a rape case against Asaram’s son Narayan Sai as well. Narayan Sai was sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2019 in this case.
The victim woman had lodged a case of rape and illegal confinement against Asaram and seven others in this case. In this case, apart from Asaram, his wife Lakshmi and daughter Bharti were also made accused.
Asaram’s empire
Asaram’s empire is believed to be worth Rs 10,000 crore. He started his career in the 170s from a hut on the banks of the Sabarmati river. Till the year 2018, he has more than 400 ashrams in the country and around the world.
Asaram was born in 1941 in Berani village of Sindh province of Pakistan. After partition in 1947, he came to Ahmedabad with his parents. He studied till fourth standard. He had to leave school after his father’s death.
He did many types of work in his early life. After this, he left for the Himalayas in spiritual search, where he met his Guru Leelashah Bapu. It was Leelashah who named him Asaram in the year 1964. Also ordered Asaram to make his way and guide the people.
In the 70s, Asaram came to Ahmedabad and started doing penance on the banks of Sabarmati near Motera. He built Moksha Kutir here. Within a few years, the fame of Saint Asaram Bapu started spreading far and wide and Moksha Kutir completely became his ashram. Within four decades, he built around 400 ashrams in India and abroad.
At the age of 15, Asaram Bapu was married to Lakshmi Devi. they have two children. One of them is Narayan Sai, who is an accused in the rape case. His daughter’s name is Bharti Devi. In the 2013 rape case, the Gandhinagar court had acquitted six accused, including Lakshmi Devi and Bharati Devi.
His good days turned to bad after he was arrested in September 2013 for raping a minor girl at his ashram near Jodhpur.
In this case, Special Public Prosecutor RC Kodekar told that the victim in this case is related to a common background. Till 2013, he did not dare to raise his voice against Asaram. After the arrest of Asaram in a similar case in Jodhpur, the victim decided to approach the police. The prosecutor sought life imprisonment for Asaram on the ground that he is a habitual offender and has committed such crimes many times.
Even after Asaram’s conviction, Asaram’s ashram in Motera remains packed with followers, who still do not believe that Asaram could do this. These followers believe that their guru has been kept in jail on false charges.
