Asaram Bapu charged with rape, judicial remand extended to 16 Nov

The Jodhpur Police on Wednesday submitted its first chargesheet against controversial godman Asaram Bapu in a sexual assault case. [caption id=“attachment_1213907” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Controversial godman Asaram Bapu. PTI[/caption] Asaram, who is lodged in Jodhpur central jail, has been charged under sections 376, 342, 506 and 509 of the IPC, Section 8 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act ( POCSO ) and Sections 23 and 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act. According to reports, the chargesheet runs into over 1300 pages with testimonies of 130 witnesses. The police are likely to press for life imprisonment for Asaram. The Jodhpur Police had arrested Asaram Bapu on 1 September after a minor filed an FIR against him alleging that he had sexually assaulted her at his ashram in Jodhpur on 15 August. Asaram was also slapped with a fresh sexual assault case along with his son on 6 October following a complaint by two Surat-based sisters. On 1 November, Asaram petitioned the Supreme Court for restricting media coverage of the trial saying he was being projected as a Dracula who drank children’s blood, but the apex court had declined to restrain media - both print and visual - from carrying news reports about his conduct. His judicial remand was also extended to 16 November.