Meerut: The Shahjahanpur police on Tuesday booked godman Asaram Bapu and 10 of his disciples on charges of rioting and criminal intimidation of the family of a rape survivor.
The woman had in August 2013 alleged that the godman had sexually assaulted her. Asaram is currently in jail and under trial.
The police action comes a day after the father of the woman filed a police complaint that the godman and his followers were trying to provoke religious sentiments of Hindus in Shahjahanpur, his hometown, against him and his family. He expressed fears of a mob attack on his family due to the “constant provocation”.
According to Inspector Ashok Pal, Asaram and 10 of his disciples were booked under Sections 147 (rioting) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. Security for the family has been enhanced.
Asaram’s followers have allegedly distributed over 20,000 copies of a local Hindi magazine, containing articles suggesting that the allegations of rape made by the victim was a “foreign conspiracy”.
“I approached the police with a complaint that there were deliberate and organised attempts to provoke religious feelings of fellow Hindus against me,” said the victim’s father, who used to be Asaram’s disciple till girl made the allegation. “A case which is essentially about rape and sexual assault is shown as a foreign conspiracy. If something happens to me and my family, Asaram and his group will be responsible for that,” he told The Hindu.
“I have received not one but many threats from Asaram and his disciples. Our life has been turned into hell because of constant threats. My children cannot go anywhere. We are living a life of house arrest,” the father said.
