Key witness in Asaram case succumbs to firearm injuries

Another key witness in the Asaram Bapu sexual assault case died of firearm injuries he suffered in an attack on Friday. Kripal, 38, was shot at by unidentified miscreants when he was near a petrol pump in the Puwanwa locality under Sadar Bazar police station of Shahjanhanpur district. He was rushed to a private hospital in Bareilly and on Saturday, at around 10.30 pm, he succumbed to his injuries. 

During investigation, the father of the sexual assault victim, who belongs to this district, had alleged that Singh was being threatened by three associates of Asharam. A case under Section 302 was registered and the matter is being investigated. However, before his death, in a statement recorded before a Magistrate, Singh said he had been receiving regular threats from three associates of the controversial Godman. He expressed apprehension that they might have been involved in the attack. However, the victim failed to identify the assailants. 

Asharam is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, a native of Shahjahanpur, in his ashram at Jodhpur in August 2013. The family of the girl was also attacked twice in Jodhpur during court hearings but were saved on both the occasions by timely alert of security personnel. Another prime witness Devendra Chawla was shot at earlier. 

In all, there have been nine attempts till date on the lives of various witnesses in the case since the self-styled godman was lodged in Jodhpur jail in September 2013. Two of them have died in the attacks. In February, a prosecution witness was stabbed to death on Jodhpur court premises, while another was shot dead in Muzaffarnagar district in January this year. The team led by Prabhunath reached at Krishna Nagar Kotwali and met the police officials there. Thereafter the team left for Asharam’s ashram in Krishna Nagar locality.  According to sources, the probing team had got a clue about the miscreants’ connection with the Krishna Nagar located ashram of the godman.