Shahjahanpur: With self-proclaimed godman Asaram, who is serving a life sentence for rape, receiving fresh interim bail, the survivor’s father has voiced deep concerns about his family’s security, fearing that Asaram “can do anything” to them at any moment.
A resident of Shahjahanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, the survivor’s father expressed disbelief over the repeated bail approvals for Asaram and alleged that he is “influencing everyone.”
The victim, who was 16 years old at the time of the crime, was raped at Asaram’s Jodhpur ashram in 2013. On Friday, the Gujarat High Court granted Asaram temporary bail for three months on medical grounds. Senior advocate Shalin Mehta, representing Asaram, argued that the 86-year-old suffers from heart and kidney ailments and requires Ayurvedic ‘panchakarma’ treatment. The lawyer informed the court that this treatment, which recently started at a Jodhpur-based Ayurvedic center, would take three more months to complete.
“When Asaram was in jail, we felt victorious. Now, he is influencing everyone. I am shocked that the court keeps granting him interim bail—first for seven days, then 12 days, then two and a half months, and now three months,” the survivor’s father stated.
On January 7, the Supreme Court had given Asaram interim bail until March 31 in a case registered by the Gujarat Police. As that period neared its end, his legal team approached the high court for an extension, which was granted for another three months starting April 1.
The survivor’s father further alleged that their lawyer betrayed them by not filing an objection to Asaram’s bail plea despite having all the required documents. “Even after repeated requests, our lawyer did not submit the objection in court. As a result, bail was granted again for three months. We signed all the papers and handed them over, but he kept delaying and deceived us,” he claimed.
He also pointed out that Asaram’s supporters have been asserting that he will not return to jail. “Their claims seem to be coming true,” he remarked, adding that Asaram has been traveling to Indore, Ujjain, and Surat to meet his followers. “What kind of illness does he have? The threat to our family has escalated. He is capable of harming us at any time. Now, we rely only on divine intervention.”
Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajesh Dwivedi confirmed that security arrangements for the survivor’s family have been intensified. A security guard has been stationed at their home, accompanied by two armed personnel. Additionally, a CCTV camera has been installed to monitor the entire premises, and local Kotwali police have been instructed to conduct nighttime patrols. “Our officers are vigilantly monitoring the safety of the survivor’s family,” the SP stated.
Asaram was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to life imprisonment under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. In 2023, a Gujarat court also found him guilty of raping a female disciple at his Ahmedabad ashram in Motera.
