Who Is Asaram Bapu? Here's All About The Self Styled Godman Convicted Of Raping A 16 YO Girl

A court in Jodhpur, Rajasthan has found self-styled godman Asaram Bapu guilty in the rape of a 16-year-old girl, bringing a closure to the case which dates back to 2013.

The 77-year-old godman who has been behind the bars since his arrest in August 2013 is likely to face up to 10 years in jail.

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The verdict is a setback to lakhs of Asaram supporters who have been campaigning all the while claiming that their guru "Bapuji" was innocent.

Asaram, who was born Asumal Sirumalani always enjoyed blind support from his devotees who continue to throng the nearly 400 ashrams across India and abroad.

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Keeping in mind the repercussions of an adverse verdict and to avoid Gurmeet Ram Rahim sentence-like situation from last year, the authorities have beefed up the security to avoid any untoward incidents.

Asaram had a remarkable journey to "success" before his fall from grace following the rape case in 2013.

According to his website, Asaram was born in 1941 as Asumal Sirumalani in Berani village of Sindh province in Pakistan. The family came to Ahmedabad in 1947 following the partition.

Asaram is said to have a formal education only till fourth standard as he was forced to leave his studies after the death of his father.

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He then set on a spiritual journey, into the Himalayas, where he met his Guru, Lilashah Bapu, who gave him the name ¡®Asaram¡¯ in 1964 and ¡°commanded him to carve his own path and guide people¡±.

At the age of 15, Asaram Bapu was married to Laxmi Devi. They have three children; one among them is Narayan Sai, who is an accused in one of the rape cases.

Asaram came to Ahmedabad in the early 70s and started doing penance on the banks of Sabarmati near Motera area. His true journey as a spiritual leader started in 1972 when he set up ¡®Moksha Kutir¡¯, a humble hut, on the banks of river. Over the years, his popularity as ¡®Sant Asaramji Bapu¡¯ started soaring high and that ¡®humble hut¡¯ converted into a full fledged Ashram. Within a span of four decades, he added around 400 ashrams in India and abroad.

As his popularity grew, so did his fortunes...

In four decades the godman managed to created an empire of Rs 10,000 crore excluding the market value of vast track of lands that he holds.

His Sant Shri Asaramji Ashram Trust ran 40 traditional schools called gurukuls, a printing press that publishes material on his interpretation of Hindu religious scriptures and an Ayurveda unit that produces medicines, soaps, and shampoos.

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Asaram's legal troubles began in 2008, when two cousins¡ªDipesh and Abhishek Vaghela¡ªwho used to stay at the Gurukul of Ashram in Motera area, were found dead under mysterious circumstances on the riverbed near the ashram.

The state CID had in 2009 booked seven followers of Asaram in the death case. Parents of two cousins had alleged that they were killed in the ashram as they practice black magic. However, his real fall started in 2013, after he was arrested for a minor¡¯s rape in Rajasthan.

After that, two Surat-based sisters had come out to speak about their alleged sexual exploitation at the hand of Asaram and his son Narayan Sai.

In 2013 Asaram had courted controversy for his "Bhaiyya" remark over the 2012 Delhi gang rape.

The Godman had claimed that if the victim should have called the rapists "brothers", fallen at their feet and pleaded for mercy. Had she said, ¡°I am a weak woman, you are my brothers¡±, such brutality would not have happened.

Incidentally, he also said he was against harsher punishments for rape accused as such laws could be misused.