Surat Crime Branch questioning rape accused Narayan Sai

Self-styled godman Asaram Bapu's son Narayan Sai, who was arrested on Wednesday in Pipli, Haryana and brought to Delhi for identification and questioning, is now being questioned by Crime Branch officials of the Surat Police in connection with a sexual assault case filed against him.

Earlier, media reports had said that he would be produced before a local court in Surat at 11 am on Thursday in connection with a sexual assault case filed against him.

Gujarat Police had yesterday secured a day's transit remand from a Delhi court to take Narayan Sai into custody and produce him before a court in Surat in connection with the case.

Sai and four others arrived in Surat early this morning and were to be produced before the court at around 11 am.

Sai, 40, who was arrested by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police, had been absconding for the past 58 days after two sisters from Surat filed rape complaints against his father and him.

Both alleged they were raped by the duo during their stay in the ashram in the mid-2000s.

Asaram Bapu, 72, is currently lodged in the Jodhpur Central Jail for sexually assaulting a girl, 16, in his Jodhpur ashram of Rajasthan in August. Asaram also played a cat-and-mouse game with the police before he was arrested from Indore September 1.

Metropolitan Magistrate Dheeraj Mor, who granted his transit remand to the Gujarat police yesterday, said. "I grant transit remand of Sai and three other accused for 24 hours which will start from 7 p.m."

However, the judge said he will sign the order sheet only if the Gujarat Police will produce the case diary and statements recorded against the accused persons.

While declining the plea of 40-year-old Sai seeking transit bail to appear before concerned court in Surat, the court said there are specific allegations against them and Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Surat has already issued warrants against them.

A special investigation team (SIT), also arrested Hanuman, Bhavika and two other accomplices of Narayan Sai, who were helping him avoid arrest for nearly two months.