Asaram Bapu booked for threat to rape victim’s family

Asaram Bapu

An FIR has been lodged in Shahjahanpur against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, his daughter and ten others on charges of rioting and criminal intimidation.

The case was registered on Friday on a complaint lodged by the father of a 20-year-old woman, who was allegedly raped by Asaram in 2013.

Ashok Pal, SHO at Kotwali police station, said the victim’s father has also claimed that some magazines, alleging that cases against Asaram are fake and that he has been framed, were distributed in the area to malign his and his daughter’s image.

“As per the complaint, he (father of the victim) is also receiving death threats from Asaram’s men and if something happened to him or his daughter, then they (Asaram and his aides) would be responsible for it,” the SHO said.

Pal added that a copy of the magazine allegedly distributed in the area was attached to the complaint. “The 4-6 page magazine alleged that the whole case against Asaram was fake. There were questions like why the complaint from the girl was made in Delhi and not Jodhpur, and many more,” the SHO said.

The woman was allegedly raped by Asaram in 2013 and an FIR was registered in Delhi.

The SHO said Asaram, his daughter and ten others named in the FIR have been booked under IPC sections 147 (rioting) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

“We are investigating the matter and looking into the alleged death threats. We are also trying to find out the source of the magazine,” SHO Pal said.