Two senior officials of UP's Shahjahanpur jail, where rape convict Asaram has been kept, have been found guilty of facilitating an event to glorify the self-styled godman. According to an official, an event was organised inside the prison last month where some followers of Asaram had distributed blankets.
Besides the Shahjahanpur jail superintendent and jailor, a prison security guard, too has been found guilty, said Deputy Inspector General (Jails) R N Pandey, who conducted the probe into the December 21 episode.
Pandey said the probe report against the jail superintendent and the jailor has been sent to the DG (Prison) for further action against them.
Meanwhile, a departmental action has been initiated against one prison guard while three others have been issued show-cause notices to explain their involvement in the December 21 event in the jail, the DIG (Prison) added.
- The event on December 21, 2020, entailed the distribution of blankets and prasad to the prison inmates.
- Besides a Satsang was held in the prison where the rape convict's photo was placed.
- The father of the rape victim had alleged that this was an attempt to refurbish Asaram's image.
- In the probe by DIG, it was found that three people had come for the event from the godman's ashram.
- The investigation found that the two persons whom the jail superintendent held responsible for conducting the function did not attend it in the first place.
- There was no entry of the names of those who held the event in the entry register.
- Since there was no entry of names, departmental action has also been initiated against the security guards on duty at the prison gate.
- Three others who were present during the programme have been issued show-cause notices, the DIG said.
- The probe into the event glorifying Asaram was launched on complaints of a man whose daughter had been raped by the godman.
- Asaram was taken into custody in August 2013 on charges of raping a teenage student at his ashram.
- The chargesheet in the case that was filed against him and the four others in November 2013 alleged blackmail in exchange for sexual favours.
- Following his arrest, a number of key witnesses were either attacked or went missing.
- The self-styled godman's personal aide was shot dead in 2014 while another associate was killed in 2014.
- Till now Asaram has moved 12 bail applications of which 6 were rejected by the trial court, three by the Rajasthan High Court, and three by the Supreme Court.
- The self-styled godman was finally convicted in April 2018 under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and POCSO.
- In April 2019, a Gujarat court convicted Narayan Sai, his son, in another rape case.