Teen rapist Asaram to rot in jail

A Jodhpur court jailed self-styled godman Asaram, 77, for life on Wednesday for raping a female devotee, then 16, in his ashram in the Rajasthan district five years ago.

This is the harshest possible sentence under the law to the so-called religious preacher who claims to have 40 million followers in India and abroad. "The convict shall remain confined to the jail for the remaining part of his natural life," said trial court judge Madhusudan Sharma.

Two of his associates were also jailed for 20 years each for aide and abetment, while two others were acquitted. The court also slapped a fine of Rs one lakh on Asaram who has an empire worth Rs 10,000 crore. The two others will furnish a bond of Rs 50,000 each.

Asaram has been in Jodhpur central jail after his arrest in September 2013. His bail applications were rejected a dozen times. He broke down when the judge announced the quantum of punishment around 2:30 pm.

Asaram's aides had said that the daughter of two of his followers from Uttar Pradesh's Shahajahanpur was "possessed by evil spirits" and sent her to him to be "cured". He raped her on August 15, 2013.

Asaram was accused of rape, sexual assault and illegal confinement of the minor under various sections of the IPC and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

He was also booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and sections 23 and 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

Asaram, who has 400 ashrams in India and abroad, has been denying the charges. The minor was earlier kept at his Chhindwara ashram in Madhya Pradesh.

The judgment was delivered at a court inside the prison to ensure there was no breach of peace. Security forces in Rajasthan, Gujarat Uttar Pradesh and Haryana remained on toes for fear of a backlash from his supporters. Last year, followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim unleashed violence that killed 41 people in northern states after he was found guilty of rape.

Asaram's counsel Sajjan Raj Surana said he will move the High Court against the verdict. "The order has come under pressure of media reports," he said.

"The sentencing has come as a big relief. It shows that even if you are a 'godman', if you commit a crime, our judiciary will get you," said Kiran Jha Thakur, founder of NGO Kalpana that helped the victim's family pursue the case.

The sentence comes three days after India enacted a tougher law against sex crimes that also prescribes death to those raping children below 12, in response to days of unspeakable brutalities and subsequent outrage across states.

"The judgment is a lesson to people who think they can get away by committing sexual offences against children," said Yashwant Jain, a member of the National Commission For Protection of Child Rights.

The judge reached the court around 8 am, and an hour later, he and his staff shifted to the courtroom on the jail premises. The conviction came around 10:40 am. The court took a break and announced the sentences around 2:30 pm. Asaram was shifted to barrack No. 2 in Jodhpur central jail at 3 pm.

On April 7, the special court had reserved its judgment for April 25 after the final arguments that lasted five months.

The two other convicts are Sharat, director of the residential school in Chhindwara, and hostel warden Shilpi. Those acquitted are Shiva and Prakash. Shilpi was also seen crying in the court.

The survivor's father thanked the judiciary and said, "Justice has been served. With him behind bars for the rest of his life, we feel safe," he told reporters. He thanked people for support throughout the ordeal.

"This is a historic verdict. Truth has won. It shows that if the law works impartially, even those from the weakest sections of society fight the most influential and get justice," said police officer Ajay Pal Lamba, who supervised the investigation.

More troubles are ahead for Asaram. Two Surat-based sisters, who stayed at his ashram between 2002 and 2004, had lodged separate cases against him and his son, Narayan Sai, accusing them of repeated rape and illegal confinement, among other charges. The trial in this case is on. On April 6, the Supreme Court set a five-week deadline for the trial to complete. A total of nine witnesses in both cases have been attacked over the past five years.

Three of them have since died. Police are investigating these attacks.