This is a verdict that gives people a lot of hope (“Asaram sentenced to jail till death”, April 26). It was extremely courageous of the girl and her family to have fought the case till justice was delivered. There are many rape cases in India that remain buried under the carpet because families fear for the future of their daughters. There are many cases piling up at the police level; they are not brought to the court’s attention. And if they are, they remain pending in courts for disposal. The verdict on Asaram will be even more meaningful if he is treated like any other convict in prison and not as a VVIP.
N. Visveswaran,
Chennai
This is the second incident in eight months where a self-styled godman has been sentenced for carrying out a despicable act. However, before being caught, these men were all glorified by their followers and politicians, many of whom they share a good relationship with. Self-styled godmen and politicians share a mutually beneficial relationship — these men get the clout they need and the politicians get votes through them. Asaram’s sentencing has sent a strong message that no one is above the law.
Utkarsh Agrawal,
Allahabad
There seem to be many fake gurus flourishing and exploiting their believers. The investigating agencies should be praised for their success, for fighting against all odds to obtain justice. Asaram’s shameful story will hopefully open the eyes of many believers of these “gurus”. He has brought disgrace to Hinduism. All his ashrams and properties should be confiscated. There should be a separate investigation into the enormous amount of money that has gone into building his huge empire. And lastly, all the political bigwigs and officials who helped him obtain land should be exposed.
S.V. Venkatakrishnan,
San Jose, California
We must applaud senior police officer Ajay Pal Lamba who doggedly oversaw the investigation despite constantly receiving threats. We hope that other officers are inspired by him and go about their work with honesty and integrity without bowing to pressure from politicians and others with vested interests.
Mohd. Zeyaullah Khan,
Nagpur
The arrest will sadly not reduce the proliferation of Asarams in the country. This dubious industry is so vast that there are — and will be — many plundering the nation and exploiting citizens unless serious and sustained investigations are carried out in all these ashrams.
S. Ramakrishnasayee,
Chennai
People have all kinds of superstitious beliefs and that is why these kind of men thrive. The fact that the victim’s parents were convinced by one of the accused that their daughter required “treatment” for the “evil spirits” that possessed her shows the extent of ignorance in our society. Fostering a scientific temper is crucial.
Tala B.Ragunath,
Thanjavur
