Live: Asaram Bapu reaches Jodhpur, police not disclosing the location of questioning

"If he was innocent, he should have surrendered on the first day itself," says Congress leader Digvijay Singh.

Asaram Bapu - AFP

Arrested religious preacher Asaram Bapu, accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, will arrive in Jodhpur by noon on Sunday.
Rape accused Asaram was arrested last night by the Jodhpur police from his Indore ashram in Madhya Pradesh for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old schoolgirl.
Police Commissioner Biju George Jospeh said that Asaram has been moved out of Indore city, where he was arrested, but declined to disclose where he would be put up for the night.
"We are planning to bring him in Jodhpur tomorrow morning but are yet to decide whether he will be brought by train, road or by air", he said.
Latest updates:
* Asaram Bapu's flight has landed in Jodhpur. Police sources also said that they will be taking him to an undisclosed location for questioning.

* Security has been tightened in Jodhpur ahead of the arrival of arrested God man Asaram Bapu for questioning in connection with a sexual assault case. Asram Bapu supporters from outside Jodhpur will also be barred from entering the city.
* "If he was innocent, he should have surrendered on the first day itself," says Congress leader Digvijay Singh.

* The flight will leave for Jodhpur from Delhi will leave in sometime. Asaram should reach Jodhpur by noon.
* The father of the 16-year-old girl who has alleged sexual assault has said that he has been receiving death threats from supporters of Asaram Bapu but has vowed to pursue his fight for justice
* Supporters greet Asaram Bapu at the Delhi airport. They were shouting slogans inf avor of the self-styled god man.
* Asaram Bapu reached Delhi in the morning after being arrested from his Indore ashram in the wee hours of the night.
* His ashram was sealed yesterday after some of his followers attacked the media for reporting that his arrest was imminent.

Asaram Bapu arrested by Jodhpur police in sexual assault case

Indore: In a late-night scoop, the Jodhpur police arrested spiritual guru Asaram Bapu from his ashram at Indore city in Madhya Pradesh for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old schoolgirl.

Sources said Asaram has been taken to the Indore airport, from where he will be flown to Jodhpur for interrogation. The arrest came at the end of a day marked by Asaram's defiance as the police team tried to interrogate him.

The victim's father, who had started a hunger strike in Shahajahanpur in Uttar Pradesh demanding Asaram's arrest, has reportedly ended his fast.

Earlier on Saturday, Asaram's son Narayan Sai had claimed his father was unwell and could not be interrogated.

A senior Rajasthan cop later countered the claim, saying the 72-year-old self-styled godman is medically fit to be investigated and could be arrested if they are not satisfied with his defence against the allegations made by the teenage inmate of his ashram.

The 16-year-old girl had lodged a complaint with police on August 20, accusing Asaram of sexually assaulting her at his Jodhpur ashram.

Asaram had denied the charges with his son saying that the girl was "mentally unstable". He had also blamed Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi for his predicament.

There was tension in Jodhpur on Saturday with Asaram's supporters attacking the journalists at his ashram, which has now been sealed. Thirteen people were detained for the violence.

"Asaram Bapu's supporters snatched our mikes and camera," said a TV journalist who was hit on his head. Another journalist received stitches after he was wounded.

Asaram's associate and bodyguard Shiva, who is accused of taking the girl to the guru's Jodhpur ashram, surrendered to the police earlier on Saturday.

Last December, the self-styled godman had made the controversial remarks that the Delhi gang-rape victim may have been spared if she had addressed her attackers as brothers.

Sexual assault case: Victim’s father on fast demanding Asaram Bapu’s arrest

New Delhi: Father of the 16-year-old girl, who has accused Asaram Bapu of sexually assaulting her at his ashram in Rajasthan's Jodhpur city, has started a fast-unto-death beginning Saturday.

The father of the alleged victim has said that he will not eat anything till Asaram is arrested.


Earlier, he had accused the self-styled godman of threatening his daughter to kill the whole family if she revealed anything regarding the incident.

The alleged sexual assault survivor’s father had said that he used to regard Asaram Bapu as God, and with this shameful incident the godman has broken the trust of the whole family.
“Asaram Bapu should be hanged,” the father of the teenage girl had demanded.

Meanwhile, a journalist and a camera person were attacked by Asaram Bapu’s supporters in Jodhpur on Saturday.

A Rajasthan Police team has left to question Asaram Bapu and "then probably arrest him", said an official on Saturday.

Heavy police force has been deployed in Jodhpur city today following reports that a huge crowd of Asaram Bapu's followers had gathered at his ashram and some of them attacked media persons who were covering developments in the sexual assault case lodged against the spiritual guru, an official said.

Asaram Bapu is facing arrest after a 16-year-old girl made a police complaint Aug 20, accusing him of sexually assaulting her at his ashram in Jodhpur.