Indian ‘Godman’ Sentenced to Life for Raping Teen

The conviction and life term for Asaram – the 77-year-old self-styled godman – in a rape case, came after almost five years of terror, threats and intimidation and three murders of witnesses who had agreed to testify against him.

Asaram told the girl that he would make her a teacher and later principal of his “gurukul” (school).

School dropout Asaram, once called Asumal Sirumalani, is believed to own 400 ashrams spread across India and overseas and has a legion of followers, many of whom still revere the controversial preacher, sentenced to life by a Jodhpur court. He ran more than 230 ashrams with residential schools with millions of followers across India and overseas, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Uganda and Kenya.

Since his arrest, Harpalani had been denied bail about a dozen times.

The court has also pronounced a jail term of 20 years each for two other accused. In a separate case, Harpalani and his son are charged with raping two sisters in the western town of Surat. “Only after completion of all legal formalities, was the girl and her family sent to Jodhpur under police protection”, said the official. Video clips showing some of the tallest politicians in the country endorsing Asaram did the rounds – unfairly, some pointed out, as the footage predated the rape and the conviction – after the verdict.

Heavy security was in place for the verdict after nine prosecution witnesses were attacked and three died during protests over the course of his trial.

There have been several rape cases involving minors in recent weeks. So, officers were clear that they have to be very methodical and thorough before they arrest Asaram. Hundreds of his followers would wait for hours to get his glimpse and follow him from jail to court and court to jail on their vehicles, some even on foot.

The police also cleared Asaram’s ashram in Pal village of devotees and only five to six people, mostly the staff, remained there. The absence of separating religion from politics, resulting in the distortion of democracy and secularism means people like Asaram Bapu will continue to thrive.

The police had also made elaborate arrangements to check influx of Asaram’s supporters to the city through trains or by road. He, too was one of the import witness of the case. A straight comparison between the two states’ police would not give a true picture of what worked in Jodhpur but went wrong in Panchkula, he opines. “If the lower court verdict doesn’t go our way, we will approach the High Court or Supreme Court”.