Jodhpur: Self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, presently in Jodhpur Central Jail, may face up to 10 years imprisonment if the charges of sexual assault against a minor girl are proved in a court of law.
Jodhpur police says, prima facie charges under Sec 376 (sexual assault) sub-section 8 will be made in the charge sheet after the probe is complete. This sub-section provides for a minimum imprisonment of 10 years for acts which amount to the limit of sexual assault.
In her written complaint, the victim had told police that Asaram's hand had reached the "limit of sexual assault".
The chargesheet to be filed will mention that Asaram's hand had reached up to the victim's private parts, and this act comes under the purview of sexual assault.
Under Criminal Law (amendment) Act, 2013, this crime comes under sec 376. Police will be using sub-section 8, which provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years, which may extend to life imprisonment.
Prior to the brutal Delhi gangrape on Dec 16, Section 376 IPC used to cover penetration only, but after the law was amended by Parliament, the provision now includes mischievous act with the private parts of the victim.
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometres away from Jodhpur, in the backwaters of UP in Shahjahanpur, the victim's family has stopped watching all news channels telecasting news related to Asaram.
The victim's parents had hung pictures of Asaram in their house. All those pictures have been removed.
The assault victim has been kept away from prying mediapersons by her parents.
The victim's mother told a reporter that the first sentence the victim uttered after coming out of Asaram's room in in a dishevelled state was 'Yeh baba Poojne layak nahin" (This baba does not deserve respect).
The victim's mother described in detail, how the family was caught in a web of deceit spun by Asaram and his associates.
"We got a phone call from gurukul (Chhindwara) saying that our daughter is unwell and we start reciting Mahamrityunjay jaap (mantra uttered if a person is on verge of death). We started the jaap that very night and the next morning, my husband and I went to Chhindwara gurukul.
"There our daughter she was alright and that she had dizziness in her head for one day only. People there began to say she was under the influence of spirits and she should be taken to Bapu.
"We took her to Bapu's ashram in Jodhpur. One Aug 15 night, Bapu called all three of us to his cottage. After speaking to them, Bapu went inside his room and put off the lights after 5 minutes. The room was covered with glasses.
"A while later, Bapu called the girl inside. We thought Bapu had gone to sleep. My husband left after 10 to 15 minutes. I was waiting alone for my daughter. Asaram was speaking to my daughter inside the room. At 11.15 am, he sent my daughter to see if her parents had left. My daughter again went inside. Baba caught hold of her hand and pulled her towards him.
"When my daughter came out she was in a dishevelled state. She told me "chalo, yahan se. Yeh baba poojne layak nahin hai". (let's go from here, this baba does not deserve respect).
'We left for Shahjahanpur on Aug 16. On Aug 18, she told me everything about what happened inside the room. That's why the delay in filing the complaint. Out of fear of being defamed here (Shahjahanpur), we decided to go to Delhi and file the complaint", said the victim's mother.
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