Asaram guilty of raping 16 year old victim's father speaks out After the verdict, Asaram's spokesperson Neelam Dubey told news agencies that they would hold discussions with their legal team and then 'decide our future course of action'
The Jodhpur SC/ST court on Wednesday convicted Asaram, besides three of the five co-accused, in a five-year-old case of raping a minor. Pronouncing the verdict inside the Jodhpur jail, amid tight security, the court held the selfstyled godman guilty of assaulting and outraging the modesty of a 16-year-old woman who, at the time of the incident, was a student at one of Asaram’s ashrams in Chhindwara, Madhya PradeshThe verdict was pronounced inside the premises of the Central Jail in Jodhpur amid tight security to avoid a repeat of the violent protests and arson seen when another self-styled godman, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, had earlier been sent to jail in a rape case. Here are the top 10 developments and things to know in the Asaram rape case verdict to be delivered in Jodhpur today:
1) Victim's father wants justice for murdered and kidnapped witnesses too: Speaking to news agencies after the verdict, the father of the rape survivor said, "Asaram is convicted, we have got justice. I want to thank everyone who supported us in this fight." Further, he said that witnesses in the case who were murdered or kidnapped should also get justice. 2) Asaram to consult legal team, says has 'faith in judiciary': After the verdict, Asaram's spokesperson Neelam Dubey told news agencies that they would hold discussions with their legal team and then "decide our future course of action". Dubey added, "We have confidence in our judiciary." 3) Jodhpur SC/ST Court convicts Asaram in 2013 rape case: The Jodhpur Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Court on Wednesday convicted self-styled godman Asaram, as well as three of the five co-accused, in the 2013 rape case where a 16-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh's Shahjehanpur had allegedly been raped. 4) Centre asks Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana to beef up security ahead of the Asaram verdict: The Centre on Tuesday asked the Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana governments to tighten security and deploy additional forces ahead of the Asaram rape case verdict today. 5) Asaram rape case victim provided security: Security was also stepped up around the victim's house in Shahajahanpur in Uttar Pradesh. 6) Delhi Police on high alert: The police believe that the national capital might also see tensions boiling over, given the adverse judgment in the Asaram case. 7) Security was beefed up, Section 144 enforced in Jodhpur ahead of Asaram rape case verdict: Since Monday, security has been tightened in Jodhpur. Jodhpur Police Commissioner Ashok Rathore told news agencies that Section 144 had been enforced in the city. 8) Verdict comes after 12 failed bail applications: Asaram unsuccessfully moved 12 bail applications. Of these, six were rejected by the trial court, three by the Rajasthan High Court, and three by the Supreme Court. 9) Asaram also facing a rape case in Surat: Asaram is also facing a rape case in Gujarat, where two Surat-based sisters had lodged separate complaints against the self-styled godman and his son Narayan Sai, accusing them of rape. 10) Detailed timeline of the Asaram rape case:Asaram was arrested on the complaint filed by a teenage girl from Shahajahanpur alleging the self-styled godman raped her at his ashram in Manai area near Jodhpur on the night of August 15, 2013.