Parole of Asaram Bapu: Rape victim’s family demand more security

Shahjahanpur (UP), Aug 16 (PTI) The family members of Asaram Bapu’s rape victim have demanded an increase in their security after the self-styled godman was granted a seven-day parole.

Asaram Bapu was convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl in 2013 in his Jodhpur ashram. In 2018, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Jodhpur High Court on Tuesday granted parole to Asaram for seven days for a medical treatment at an Ayurvedic hospital in Maharashtra under police custody.

Following this, the victim’s father, citing a threat to his family, said that the police force deployed at his place is insufficient and the security should be increased.

He argued that “When Asaram was in jail, the main witness in his case, Kripal Singh (35), was shot dead in Shahjahanpur Cantt area on July 10, 2015, and another witness was also shot dead in Muzaffarnagar.”

The victim’s father said that “Four years ago, Asaram’s followers had put up a banner of Asaram in Shahjahanpur jail and distributed blankets and a threat letter was also sent to my house.”

The victim’s father added that “he and his family are very scared since Asaram came out on parole.”

Shahjahanpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashok Kumar Meena told PTI on Friday that the police force is already deployed at the victim’s house.

SP said, “The victim’s father has to go out for court work etc., so on his demand, a gunner has also been provided to him.”

Meena said that we have also instructed our officers to review the security of the victim’s family and increase the number of personnel if needed. Along with this, instructions have also been issued to the concerned police station to regularly monitor the security arrangements.