Asaram to be taken to Gujarat

A court in Rajasthan's Jodhpur city Friday allowed controversial spiritual guru Asaram Bapu, currently lodged in prison on charges of sexually assaulting a minor, to be taken to Gujarat for questioning in another case of sexual assault, police said.

The court of the district and sessions judge (Jodhur rural) Friday allowed a Gujarat Police team to take Asaram to Surat in connection with a case of sexual assault registered against him and his son Narayan Sai by two sisters.

The Gujarat Police team arrived in Jodhpur, some 350 km from Jaipur, Thursday and filed an application in the court seeking custody of Asaram, who is lodged in the Jodhpur Central Jail since Sep 1, a police officer in Jodhpur told IANS.

In the application, the Gujarat Police investigators sought Asaram's custody for questioning him in connection with cases registered against him in Surat.

"The district and sessions judge today (Friday) allowed Gujarat Police team to take Asaram to Surat on a transit remand. Asaram will be brought back to Jodhpur whenever hearing into the case of sexual assault lodged here comes up in the court," a senior police officer told IANS.

Sources said that Asaram will be taken to Surat Saturday morning.

On Aug 20, a 16-year-old girl filed a police complaint accusing Asaram of sexually assaulting her at his ashram near Jodhpur.

Asaram was arrested from his ashram in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, and brought to Jodhpur Sep 1.