CBI likely to probe in 2008 death case of boys' staying at Asaram ashram

A local court, which heard the application seeking a CBI probe in the 2008 death case of two cousins staying at self-styled godman Asaram Bapu's city-based ashram, is likely to pronounce the order on August 5.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate M V Gohel today concluded the hearing and reserved his order while posting the matter to August 5.

The parents of the two children, who were found dead on the banks of Sabarmati river near Asaram's ashram in Motera here in July 2008, had filed a plea before a magisterial court in January this year seeking transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Cousins Dipesh Vaghela (10) and Abhishek Vaghela (11) had gone missing from Asaram Bapu's gurukul, a residential school situated in Motera Ashram of the city, on July 3, 2008 under mysterious circumstances.

On July 5, 2008, mutilated bodies of the two boys were found in the riverbed near the ashram.

After the two boys were found dead, a widespread public agitation had taken place against Asaram with allegations that their deaths were linked to black magic practised in the ashram.

Dipesh's father Praful Vaghela had filed an application before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S V Parekh in February this year seeking a CBI probe.

The application said the cause of the death of two children has not been investigated properly by the local police as well as the inquiry commission (Justice D K Trivedi Commission) constituted by the state government.

All the investigations, according to the applicant, have been allegedly aimed at shielding the real killers of children.

Justice D K Trivedi Commission was formed by the state government in July 2008, which submitted its report on the incident to the state Home department in July 2013. However, it has not been yet tabled in the state assembly.

The state CID had in 2009 booked seven followers of Asaram in connection with the death of the two children under IPC section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against whom a charge sheet was filed in September 2012.