The Jodhpur Police has started tightening noose around the neck of Asaram Bapu by serving a summon on Monday asking him to appear before the Investigating Officer (IO) of the Sursagar police station in the city on August 30 in connection with allegation of sexual abuse levelled against him by a minor.
“We have sent a sub-inspector with the notice to Bapu, which will be first served to his officials at his ashram in Ahmedabad and then Bapu will be approached for serving the notice, wherever he is,” Jodhpur DCP (West) Ajay Pal lamba said on Monday.
“We have asked him to appear before the Jodhpur police within four days for presenting his side regarding the allegations levelled against him by the girl,” he said.
A Delhi Police team that had gone to Jodhpur with the case file returned to the Capital on Monday morning. According to the officials, there is sufficient proof against Asaram.
Investigations conducted by the Delhi Police and the subsequent probe by the Jodhpur Police have corroborated the charges against Asaram as his presence and that of the girl at Jodhpur ashram on the evening of August 15 has been established, said sources in the Delhi Police.
Caretaker of Asaram’s Chhindwara ashram Shilpa and Asaram’s personal assistant Shiva have been summoned too as their names surfaced during the ongoing probe. Shilpa and Shiva may be booked for criminal conspiracy for their roles in sending the girl to Jodhpur, said a Delhi Police officer.
A case under sections 8 of Protection of Children from the Sexual Offences (POCSO) and sections 376B ( non-penetrative rape), 342 ( wrongful restraint), 354 ( outraging the modesty), 509 ( Obscene gesticulations) and 506 (intimidation to kill) have been registered on the basis of the statement of the victim, said the officer.
ACP Chanchal Mishra of the Jodhpur Police has recorded the statements of over 12 persons, including a gardener of Asaram’s ashram whom the IO is going to field as prosecution witness. Investigations have revealed that it was Asaram himself who took the 15-year-old girl to his room in the Jodhpur ashram in Madai area of the city.
A Delhi Police officer who accompanied the girl to Jodhpur said that the victim has been very consistent in her statements.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has registered a criminal case against Neelam Dubey, the spokesperson of Asaram Bapu, for hurting religious sentiments of Sikh. DCP, New Delhi district, SBS Tyagi said that summons have been issued to her to appear before the IO of Parliament Street police station. Dubey had equated Asaram with Guru Nanak Dev and Gautam Buddha.