Jodhpur police team reaches Asaram Bapu's Indore ashram

A Jodhpur police team today reached controversial self-styled godman Asaram Bapu's ashram here to deliver summons to him in the case of alleged sexual abuse of a minor.
An inspector and a policemen went to the ashram to deliver the summons to Asaram Bapu, asking him to appear before Jodhpur police for questioning by August 30 in the case, Bhawar Kuan police sources said.
Ashramites told the two-member Jodhpur team that 72-year-old Asaram was in meditation.
Jodhpur police yesterday delivered summons to Asaram Bapu in Ahmedabad to appear before it for questioning by August 30 in connection with the allegation of sexual abuse levelled against him by the 16-year-old girl. The summons was delivered to a representative of Asaram.

The godman has been booked for allegedly sexually assaulting the girl in a Jodhpur ashram on August 15 under sections 376, 342, 506 and 509 of the IPC, section 8 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and sections 23 and 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Besides the summons served on Asaram Bapu, notices have also been issued to the manager of Chhindwara gurukul in Madhya Pradesh, hostel warden and the main caretaker of Asaram, who was present at Manai ashram in Jodhpur with him when the alleged sexual assault took place there.
The girl was studying in Asaram's Chhindwara gurukul before she was sent to Jodhpur ashram, police said.

The self-styled godman has claimed that he was innocent and regards the minor as his "daughter".