A court in Gandhinagar in Gujarat on Monday held jailed self-styled godman Asaram guilty in a 2013 rape case in which he and six others have been arraigned as accused.
The quantum of Punishment will be announced tomorrow (Tuesday).
The court acquitted six other accused, including Asaram's wife, due to the lack of evidence.
As per the FIR lodged at Chandkheda police station in Ahmedabad, Asaram Bapu allegedly raped the woman on several occasions from 2001 to 2006 when she was living at his ashram on the outskirts of the city.
"The court has accepted the prosecution case and convicted Asaram under sections 376 2(C) (rape), 377 (unnatural offences) and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code for illegal detention, among others," special public prosecutor RC Kodekar said on Monday.
The controversial godman is currently lodged in jail in Jodhpur in another rape case.
A Surat-based woman had filed a case of rape and illegal confinement against Asaram Bapu and seven others, one of whom died during the pendency of the trial, in October 2013.
A chargesheet was filed in July 2014.
Asaram and six others, comprising his wife Lakshmi, daughter Bharti and four women followers Dhruvben, Nirmala, Jassi and Meera, were examined by the court under section 313 of the CrPC.
Asaram was in 2018 sentenced to life in prison until death by a Jodhpur court in neighbouring Rajasthan for raping a teenager in August 2013. He is currently lodged in Jodhpur central jail.
The Gandhinagar court heard a rape case lodged against him at Ahmedabad's Chandkheda police station in 2013. Asaram was accused of rape, unnatural sex, wrongful confinement, criminal conspiracy and causing disappearance of evidence, among other offences.
The six co-accused, including his wife and daughter, were charged with abetment, illegal confinement and conspiracy.
The Surat police had, on October 6, 2021, registered complaints filed by two sisters, one against Asaram and the other against his son Narayan Sai, of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other charges.
The complaint against Asaram was transferred to Chandkheda police station in Ahmedabad since the incident took place in an ashram.
(With PTI input)
Also Read: Asaram's son Narayan Sai sentenced to life imprisonment in rape case
