Demand for action against Asaram Bapu gets louder

New Delhi: The clamour surrounding around Asaram Bapu over an alleged sexual harassment case seems to be getting louder with every passing day.

Commenting on the issue, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, “I would say that instead of running away, Asaram Bapu should present himself before the Jodhpur police and help in the investigations in complaints against him by a girl in Jodhpur. This is not the first time that such complaints have been leveled against him.”

“There is one sadhu who is taking the country for a ride. What have you done in the case?…Punishing this sadhu will send a strong message across the country,” JD-U chief Sharad Yadav told Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde with several members including Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) demanding stringent action against the controversial godman.

Jodhpur police on Monday delivered summons to Asaram Bapu in Ahmedabad to appear before it for questioning by August 30 in connection with the allegation of sexual abuse levelled against him by the 16-year-old girl. The summons was delivered to a representative of Asaram.

The godman has been booked for allegedly sexually assaulting the girl in a Jodhpur ashram on August 15 under sections 376, 342, 506 and 509 of the IPC, section 8 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and sections 23 and 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

Besides the summons served on Asaram Bapu, notices have also been issued to the manager of Chhindwara gurukul in Madhya Pradesh, hostel warden and the main caretaker of Asaram, who was present at Manai ashram in Jodhpur with him when the alleged sexual assault took place there.