Asaram Rape Case Verdict LIVE Updates: 'Godman' Sentenced to Life Imprisonment; Bail Plea Tomorrow

It was the successful planning and meticulous operation headed by then DCP of Jodhpur, Ajay Pal Lamba, that managed to send Asaram behind bars.

Rapist Asaram's case timeline:

Self-styled guru Asaram has been given a life sentence under Section 6 of the POCSO, this means he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Asaram has been convicted under sections 370, 376, POCSO, 120 B, 342 and 354. These sections are — Sexual Assault, Outraging a woman's modesty, POCSO, wrongful confinement and criminal conspiracy. He is also convicted of using a 'person as a slave':

Former Jodhpur DGP Ajay Pal Lamba, who headed the investigation and arrested rape convict Asaram, has taken to Facebook and written about how "Finally truth has prevailed":

Asaram's legal team has confirmed to News18 that his bail plea will be filed in Rajasthan High Court tomorrow itself. "Earlier, getting bail was difficult as he was an undertrial. Now that we have an order, we'll push hard for Asaram's bail," says his legal team.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was the guru who had made the famous band, The Beatles, his fanbase. The musicians even visited India in the 60's and stayed at his ashram in Rishikesh.

"CPIM welcomes the verdict holding Asaram & 2 others guilty of rape of a minor in Aug 2013. It is a case of a so-called godman exploiting the faith and belief of his followers to sexually exploit a minor and deserves the strongest punishment. This is a victory for justice in a case which saw the use of violence & intimidation against the victim & her family. 9 witnesses were attacked of which three died. The courts should ensure that the other related cases including those of the killing of the witnesses should be completed without delay," tweets CPIM:

CPIM welcomes #AsaramVerdict holding Asaram & 2 others guilty of rape of a minor in Aug 2013. It is a case of a so-called godman exploiting the faith and belief of his followers to sexually exploit a minor and deserves the strongest punishment.#AsaramCaseVerdict #AsaramConvicted

— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) April 25, 2018

This is a victory for justice in a case which saw the use of violence & intimidation against the victim & her family. 9 witnesses were attacked of which three died.#AsaramVerdict #AsaramCaseVerdict #AsaramConvicted

— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) April 25, 2018

The courts should ensure that the other related cases including those of the killing of the witnesses should be completed without delay.#AsaramVerdict #AsaramCaseVerdict #AsaramConvicted

— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) April 25, 2018

Co-accused Get 20 Years Each | Asaram's convicted co-accused Shilpi and Sharad have been sentenced to 20 years each in jail by Jodhpur Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Court in the 2013 rape case. 

Life Sentence For Asaram | Self-styled guru Asaram has been given a life sentence under Section 6 of the POCSO, this means he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. This was confirmed to News18 by Rajasthan DGP OP Gehlotra. Asaram has been convicted under sections 370, 376, POCSO, 120 B, 342 and 354. These sections are — Sexual Assault, Outraging a woman's modesty, POCSO, wrongful confinement and criminal conspiracy. He is also convicted of using a 'person as a slave'. Asaram was arrested on August 31, 2013, after a teenage girl alleged that she was subjected to sexual assault by the self-styled guru when she stayed at the Ashram in Mani village. The victim was a resident of Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh and was a student there.

Judge Madhusudan Sharma is reading out the quantum of the sentence. Rape convict Asaram faces a maximum of life imprisonment. Meanwhile, another Asaram supporter has been detained outside Jodhpur jail.

The official twitter account of the Congress party has tweeted a video of rape convict Asaram and PM Narendra Modi. As a caption, the tweets quotes Aesop's Fables and said, "A man is known by the company he keeps.":

"A man is known by the company he keeps" - Aesop's fables #AsaramVerdict pic.twitter.com/CTOQ8HKJ1O

— Congress (@INCIndia) April 25, 2018

Former IPS officer and an acquitted accused in the Sohrabuddin case, DG Vanzara came out in support of rape convict Asaram. "There is no charge of rape. The charge is that he inappropriately touched the victim. I am a follower of Asaram," said Vanzara.

Jail sources told CNN-News18 that the staff of judge Madhusudhan is still inside the court premises, so the court is still on. The normal time till when the court functions is 1 pm. However, in some cases, in the past the court has worked for extra hours.  

"So, Asaram is a child rapist. And he has been found guilty. Good. But can people please stop sharing images of him with PM Modi. Patronising him before he was exposed to be a pervert is no crime. Let’s be fair and give him the benefit of doubt that he, like us, did not know," tweets actor Farhan Akhtar.

So, Asaram is a child rapist. And he has been found guilty. Good.

But can people please stop sharing images of him with PM Modi. Patronising him before he was exposed to be a pervert is no crime.

Let’s be fair and give him the benefit of doubt that he, like us, did not know.

— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) April 25, 2018

The scrutiny of documents seized by the police from Asaram's ashram in Motera area here following his arrest in the rape case in 2013 had revealed that the 77-year-old Asaram has amassed a wealth of around 10,000 crore, which is excluding the market value of vast track of lands that he holds.

Arguments by both prosecution and defence counsels concerning the quantum of the sentence have concluded. The judge has now gone into his chamber to write the order. Sources have told News18 that the sentence is expected in 15 minutes. Meanwhile, an ambulance has just gone into the jail.

The Gujarat police has stepped up security outside two of the prominent ashrams of self-styled godman Asaram in the state, as a court in Rajasthan convicted him in a rape case today. Over 50 policemen, led by a deputy commissioner of police, were deployed outside Asaram's ashram in Motera area of Ahmedabad city, DCP HR Muliana said. Around 100 policemen as well as personnel from the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) were deployed at various places in Chandkheda area to keep an eye on followers coming to the ashram, he said. Since Sabarmati area is also close to the ashram, around 40 policemen were maintaining vigil at strategic locations and on connecting roads, the official said. "All the police stations in the city have been given orders to remain alert and conduct patrolling in their respective areas to prevent any unwarranted situation," Muliana said, adding that the situation at the ashram was calm. Besides, adequate police force was deployed since early morning outside Asaram's another prominent ashram in Jahangirpura area of Surat district, a police official said. Continuous police patrolling was on in the diamond city, he said.

Asaram’s real fall started in 2013 after he was arrested for a minor's rape in Rajasthan. After that, two Surat-based sisters had come out to speak about their alleged sexual exploitation at the hand of Asaram and his son Narayan Sai. Surat Police had on October 6, 2013, registered complaints filed by two sisters - one against Asaram and another against his son Narayan Sai - of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other charges. The case is going on against Asaram in Gandhinagar court. He was accused of land grabbing for building his ashrams in Surat and Ahmedabad. His followers were held for threatening and assaulting witnesses in rape cases against him and his son after they were arrested.

Asaram is married to Laxmi Devi and they have two children - son Narayan Sai, who is also behind bars, and daughter Bharti Devi. Asaram ran into troubled waters for the first time in 2008, when two cousins -Dipesh and Abhishek Vaghela- who used to stay at the Gurukul of Asaram's Ashram in Motera area here, were found dead under mysterious circumstances on the riverbed near the ashram in 2008. The state CID had in 2009 booked seven followers of Asaram in the death case. Parents of two cousins had alleged that they were killed in the Asaram's ashram as they practice black magic.

Asaram came to Ahmedabad in the early 70s and started doing penance on the banks of Sabarmati near Motera area. His true journey as a spiritual leader started in 1972 when he set up 'Moksha Kutir', a humble hut, on the banks of the river. Over the years, his popularity as 'Sant Asaramji Bapu' started soaring high and that 'humble hut' converted into a full-fledged Ashram. Within a span of four decades, he added around 400 ashrams in India and abroad. Even today, the Motera Ashram is flocked by followers, who are still in denial mode and maintain that their 'guru' has been jailed on false charges.

As per a short documentary available on his official website, Asaram was born in 1941 as Asumal Sirumalani in Berani village of Sindh province in Pakistan. After partition in 1947, Asumal came to Ahmedabad with his parents and studied only till the fourth standard at a school in Maninagar area, as he was forced to leave his studies after the death of his father Thaumal when he was 10. After doing some odd jobs during his early youth, Asumal embarked on a "spiritual quest" towards the Himalayas, where he met his Guru, Lilashah Bapu, the documentary claimed. It was that Guru who gave him the name 'Asaram' in 1964 and "commanded him to carve his own path and guide people".

The scrutiny of documents seized by the police from Asaram's ashram in Motera area following his arrest in the rape case in 2013 had revealed that the 77-year-old Asaram has amassed a wealth of around 10,000 crores, which is excluding the market value of vast track of lands that he holds. He may still have many followers, but after rape allegations, he was accused of other crimes like land grabbing and practice of black magic in his ashrams.

The Preacher Who Built a Rs 10,000 Crore Empire | From the high pedestal of a preacher having thousands of followers, self-styled guru Asaram's fall from grace came after he was embroiled in the rape case of a minor girl. If we go by figures, Asaram can surely give top businessmen a run for their money as the jailed self-styled guru created an empire of Rs 10,000 crore within four decades, starting from a humble hut on the banks of the Sabarmati river in the early 70s to over 400 ashrams across the country and the world.

Asaram's Charges | Asaram has been convicted under sections 370, 376, POCSO, 120 B, 342 and 354. These sections are — Sexual Assault, Outraging a woman's modesty, POCSO, wrongful confinement and criminal conspiracy. He is also convicted of using a 'person as a slave'. Meanwhile, Home Ministry sources have told News18 that there are no reports of any violence so far.

The defence counsel is arguing for minimum punishment on the ground that Asaram is old and not in the prime of health. The defence is claiming that Asaram is not a repeat criminal and is involved in public welfare activities, therefore he should be given minimum quantum.

The teenage girl, in her complaint, said that Shilpi used to brainwash young girls and send them to Asaram.

Quantum Likely Today | "Asaram has been convicted, along with two others. The sentencing had quantum is yet to happen. I have not seen the order copy but I can confirm this. We are all satisfied with the judgment. We see the quantum coming today itself. The ground reality remains the same that he is and will continue to be in jail. There are no reports of anyone breaking law and order, everything is under control," says Rajasthan DGP OP Gehlotra.

"Such cases bring shame to the country. It's time we crack down on fake godmen. Babas (gurus) are being caught one-by-one, It's high time the real faces of these babas come out," says Congress leader Ashok Gehlot.

"The decision has come and the court has given me justice. He (Asaram) is guilty and will get strict punishment. I don't even remember how many times I have been threatened. I thank you (the media), the people of the city and women's organisations. I am still awaiting the sentence. The witnesses, who have been killed or abducted, will get justice. The pain we have seen, the pain that we witnessed. We cannot leave the house, there is heavy police presence here," said the victim's father.

"We can't say anything over the verdict. It will have no impact on Ashram's activities, they will go on as usual. The Kalpana NGO, which counselled the victim, is fake. The medical report, too, said there was no mark on the victim's body and it is yet to be seen whether she is a minor or not," said Neelam Dubey, Asaram's spokesperson.