Chargesheet filed against Asaram in Jodhpur court

A chargesheet was filed Wednesday in Rajasthan's Jodhpur city against spiritual guru Asaram Bapu, over two months after he was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl.

"The chargesheet containing over 1,000 pages was submitted in the court of the district and sessions judge (Jodhpur rural) against Asaram and his four accomplices," said a senior police officer.

The officer said the accused have been charged with various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Sources said the police have included 140 witnesses and other evidences in the chargesheet. The next hearing of the case is scheduled Nov 16.

Rajasthan High Court had Oct 1 rejected Asaram's bail plea.

On Aug 20, a 16-year-old girl lodged a police complaint accusing Asaram, 72, of sexually assaulting her at his ashram near Jodhpur.

In her complaint, she alleged that Asaram's aides sent her to his Jodhpur ashram on the pretext that she was under the influence of an "evil spirit" and the spiritual guru could perform an exorcism.

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

Asaram is lodged in the Jodhpur Central Jail since Sep 2.