ED files complaint against Asaram's son in bribery case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today filed a 'prosecution complaint' against jailed godman Asaram's son Narayan Sai under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a bribery case.

Sai, arrested in a rape case in 2013, is lodged in the Surat jail.

Through the complaint, filed with the special PMLA court here, the ED has sought prosecution of Sai and others for money laundering, the agency said in a release.

The court took its cognisance and issued bailable warrants to the accused, the ED said.

The complaint is based on an FIR and a charge sheet filed by Surat police who had claimed to have unearthed an alleged conspiracy to bribe officials after Sai was arrested in the rape case.

"Narayan Sai...hatched a conspiracy to bribe the officers of police, judiciary, medical department and jail department to replace 42 bags of seized important documents with bags of unnecessary papers," the ED release said.

The objective was to weaken the case of rape against him, it alleged.

In 2015, the ED had seized Rs 8.10 crore in cash from Sai's accomplices, which was to be used to bribe officials, the release added.

A Surat-based woman has accused Asaram of raping her while she was living in his Ashram. Her younger sister has levelled similar allegations against Narayan Sai.