Gujarat govt mulls tabling probe report on Asaram ashram murders

After a Jodhpur court's judgment against disgraced godman Asaram, the Gujarat government is preparing to table a report by a probe panel that investigated the suspicious deaths of two boys who were studying in Asaram's ashram in 2008. Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja said the report would be tabled in the upcoming assembly session.

"The inquiry commission led by Justice DK Trivedi was set up by the Gujarat government following the deaths of the two boys, and the commission submitted the probe report in July 2013. The recommendations made in the report were under the consideration of the government," Jadeja said.

On March 14, during the budget session of the Assembly, Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani had asked the government about the status of the report, to which the government had replied it was under consideration.

Congress MLAs have persistently demanded a detailed reply on the probe commission report, and Jadeja has repeatedly told the House that the government would table the report after thorough consideration and that it was not mandatory to table it within a certain period of time. Jadeja said police arrested seven persons in connection with the case.

Two inmates of a gurukul in Asaram's Motera ashram in Ahmedabad city — Dipesh Vaghela (10) and Abhishek Vaghela (11), both cousins — went missing.

Their decomposed bodies were discovered at a secluded spot along the Sabarmati river behind the ashram on July 5, 2008. Violent protests had erupted across the state after families of the deceased boys sat on a dharna, demanding a CBI probe. The state government had then set up the inquiry commission under retired high court judge DK Trivedi.