Indian Court Holds Spiritual Leader Guilty Of Raping Minor Devotee

A special court in the western Indian city of Jodhpur on Wednesday convicted a self-styled godman of raping a minor devotee five years ago.

NEW DELHI, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Apr, 2018 ) :A special court in the western Indian city of Jodhpur on Wednesday convicted a self-styled godman of raping a minor devotee five years ago.

Apart from Asaram, the 77-year-old Hindu spiritual leader, the court also held two of his close aides guilty in the case but acquitted two others accused. The judge, who read out the judgment in Jodhpur Central Jail where Asaram is lodged, will announce the quantum of punishment after hearing the arguments of prosecutors and defense lawyers.

Asaram faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life sentence in jail. The case dates back to 2013 when Asaram raped the teenage devotee in his religious home in Jodhpur.

The victim's father and police officials who probed the case have hailed the judgment.

"Justice has finally prevailed," said the girl's father. "This is a historic verdict for criminal jurisprudence. The truth has won," top investigator Ajay Pal Lamba told the media. Asaram has been jailed since his arrest in 2013.

Apart from this case, he faces another rape case in the neighboring state of Gujarat. But since his trial started, nine witnesses in the two cases have been attacked, and three of them died. Even the judge and the police officials probing the case faced threats allegedly from the spiritual leader's supporters.

Asaram, who runs over 400 religious homes across India, claims himself innocent.