Amrut Prajapati, a former aide of Asaram Bapu and witness in a sexual assault case against the self-styled ‘godman’, died of bullet injuries at a hospital here on Tuesday morning, police said.
On May 23, unidentified gunman posing as patients shot Mr. Prajapati in the neck at an ayurvedic hospital in Rajkot.
“He was one of the witnesses in the case. He had given a police statement, which forms part of the charge sheet we filed in the court. His death is indeed sad, but it will not affect the case. His wife is also a prime witness,” inspector Divya Raviya, who is investigating the case, told
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Last year, the Surat police registered a complaint of rape, sexual assault and illegal confinement, filed by two sisters, against Asaram and his son Narayan Sai. The case was transferred to Ahmedabad as the incident had allegedly taken place in Asaram’s ashram in Motera here.
Mr. Prajapati, Asara’s personal physician for 10 years, left the ashram in 2005 after reportedly having received threats from Asaram’s supporters. After the death of two boys at the ashram, he accused Asaram of sexually exploiting women at the ashram and conducting other illegal activities.
Mr. Prajapati was known to keep a licensed revolver with him for personal safety and maintain secrecy about his whereabouts. There were several attempts on his life before the fatal attack in Rajkot last month.
ADVERTISEMENT
“He had given a letter to the police with the names of five persons and their contact numbers. He knew the people who attacked him. He had been in a coma since the attack,” Mr. Prajapati’s uncle Moti Prajapati told The Hindu .
“We are still investigating the case. We have not made any arrests,” K.L.N. Rao, Joint Commissioner of Police, Rajkot, told The Hindu .