Here are some facts about the self-proclaimed godman:
Finally, after five years, the Jodhpur Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Court has convicted Asaram Bapu along with two others for rape charges. The five charges that have been leveled against Asaram Bapu are, raping a minor girl, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy and sexual harassment. He was arrested and brought to Jodhpur on 1st September 2013 and has been in custody since 2nd September. Controversial & self-proclaimed Godman Asaram has also been accused of human trafficking and rape.
Here are some fascinating facts on Asaram, a billionaire preacher
- His full name is Asumal Thaumal Harpalani Aka Asaram, born in Sindh, Pakistan on April 17, 1941.
- After independence, his family moved to Ahmadabad, where he studied till class 3 and after that ran away to an ashram in Bharauch.
- He got married at the age of 15 and had three children, one among them is Narayan Sai, who is also an accused in a rape case.
- He set up his first ashram in 1972, and in 1999, both BJP and Congress party allotted lands for his ashrams.
- By 2014, Asaram Bapu had assets and wealth over 10,000 crores, and a fan following of around 2 crore people.
- He gave a shockingly insensitive statement on the Nirbhaya gangrape case of (December 16, 2012). Putting the partial blame on the girl for getting raped, he stated- The girl should have called the rapists her “brothers” and should have pleaded before them with folded hands to let her go.
- His Ashrams and schools are referred to as gurukuls. They are lavishly spread over hundreds of acres in prime locations of Jodhpur, Chindwara, Indore, Rohtak, and Ahmedabad. He also has extensive ashrams in New Jersey and other locations in the US.
- Legal troubles for the baba started when two 10-year-old boys, were found dead near in a dry riverbed in Motera- Gujrat near his ashram. Their parents claim Asaram practiced black magic on their body. He also gave some ridiculous advice to the parents on how to find their boys.
- Before his arrest, he enjoyed a total VVIP status. Asaram has an empire of Rs. 10,000 crore within four decades; this amount is excluding the market value of huge tracts of land that he holds.
- The two Surat-based sisters had also lodged separate complaints against the self-styled godman and his son Narayan Sai, accusing them of rape
