Asaram Bapu's disciples to be questioned in rape case

A Rajasthan Police team was Friday rushed to spiritual leader Asaram Bapu's ashram at Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh to probe the case of sexual assault registered against the godman by a 16-year-old girl, police said. They will question his disciples at the ashram.

The girl had made a complaint in a police station in central Delhi Tuesday accusing the godman of sexually assaulting her at his ashram in Rajasthan's Jodhpur, police said.

Police registered a first information report (FIR) against Asaram Bapu in Jodhpur after receiving a copy of the complaint from Delhi Police Wednesday, a police officer told IANS.

"We have rushed a team to Asaram's ashram at Chhindwara where the girl studied before she accused him of sexual assault at his another ashram near Jodhpur," the officer said.

The officer said that the team will record the statement of people at the ashram.

"The exercise is part of our investigation. We are planning to quiz Asaram soon," said the officer.

"He has been booked under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and other sections of the Indian Penal Code," the officer said.

A police team had inspected the godman's ashram near Jodhpur Thursday and recorded statements of several people to verify whether the girl and her parents were at the ashram Aug 15 when the girl says she was sexually assaulted.

"During preliminary investigation, it has come up that the girl and her parents and Asaram Bapu were present in the ashram Aug 15. The owner of the land, which is being used for the ashram, told police that the girl and her parents had come to ashram to meet the godman," said the officer.