Hindu Godman
NAME: Asumal Sirumalani Harpalani.
DATE OF BIRTH: 17th of April 1941.
PLACE OF BIRTH: Berani village, Shaheed Benazir Abad District (Nawabshah), Sindh province, Pakistan.
PARENTS: Thaumal Sirumalani, Coal and Wood businessman (Father) and Mehangiba (Mother)
SIBLINGS: Not Known
SPOUSE: Lakshmi Devi
CHILDREN: one son (Narayan Prem Sai) & Daughter (Bharti Devi).
SCHOOL(s): Jay Hind High School, Maninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
COLLEGE(s): N/A
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION(s): 3rd Standard.
PROFESSION: Spiritual Guru, Social worker, God man.
DESIGNATIONS: Self-styled godman.
AWARD(s): N/A
NET WORTH: 10, 000 crore INR (approx.)
CHARGES: Convicted of rape, murder, criminal conspiracy,
Asumal Sirumalani Harpalani or popularly known as Asaram Bapu is a spiritual guru, godman and social worker.
He was born in Sindh, Pakistan but during partition he and his family moved to India and started living in Ahmedabad. He owned several ashrams throughout the India and in those ashrams he conducted his teachings and Satsang programmes.
Starting to come in the limelight in the early 1970s, he had established over 400 ashrams in India and abroad by 2013, and was popular among politicians and common people for his religious discourses Asaram’s core teachings align with Hindutva-centred views. ‘Ram Puniyani’ notes overt Brahminical tones in his teachings.
Over the period of time his popularity becomes gradually increase but after 2013 several legal proceedings have been initiated against him in connection with rape, murder and land encroachment. Currently, he has been lodged in Central jail, Jodhpur in connection with rape of a minor girl.
LEGAL BACKGROUND:
DEATH OF TWO BOYS IN GURUKUL AT AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT.
After went missing of two boys from Ashram’s Gurukul in Motera, Ahmedabad on 3/07/2020, the parents said that the Ashram administration had originally sought to discourage them from filing a report to the police.
Two days after missing on 5/07/2008, the several body parts of the two boys were found on the banks of the Sabarmati River near Ashram. This incidence led to the massive public unrest throughout the state that Asaram and his supporters had murdered the boys for black magic.
But later on the commission led by retired Justice D K Trivedi had concluded that no evidence has been found during investigation for conducting black magic in the ashram, which was alleged to have caused the deaths.
F.I.R. LODGED IN DELHI.
On 20/08/2013, a Zero F.I.R., under section 342/376/354A/506/509/34 of I.P.C. and under section 23 & 26 of J.J. Act and under section 8 of POCSO Act, has been lodged against Saint Asaram Bapu in Kamla Market Police Station, Central District, Delhi.
The said F.I.R. has been lodged by the parents of the 16 years old minor girl, a student of the Asaram Bapu’s Ashram. In the F.I.R. They accused him of raping their daughter at his Ashram near Jodhpur.
CONVICTED IN MINOR GIRL RAPE CASE (JODHPUR RAPE CONVICTION).
State of Rajasthan vs. Asaram Bapu & Anr.
After dismissed the various bail applications by the Rajasthan High Court and Supreme Court, finally on 17th of April 2013 the District and Sessions court of Jodhpur got an order from Rajasthan High Court to pronounce the judgement and on the basis of Zero F.I.R dated 20/08/2013 at Kamla Market Police Station, Central District, Delhi, the trial court pronounced a judgement dated 25/04/2018 and convicted Saint Asaram Bapu guilty for raping a 6 years old minor girl at his Manai Ashram in Jodhpur on 15/08/2020.
The trail court pronounced a verdict of life imprisonment and a fine of INR 5, 00,000. Further against the trail court judgement Asaram Bapu went to appeal to Rajasthan High court. Although on 23/09/2019, Jodhpur bench of High Court dismissed the plea of Asaram Bapu against the trail court’s judgement of life imprisonment.
F.I.R. LODGED IN SURAT, GUJARAT.
Apart from the Jodhpur rape case F.I.R., the two sisters form Surat also filed a F.I.R. dated 06/10/2013, against the jailed Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai, accusing them of rape and illegal confinement at Surat, Gujarat.
In F.I.R., the elder sister alleged Asaram Bapu raped her at his Ahmedabad Ashram and the younger sister alleged his son Narayan Sai raped her at Surat during the mid-2000s.
Further on the basis of said F.I.R, on 30/04/2019 his son Narayan Sai was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Recently, the Gujarat High Court dismissed the Asaram Bapu’s temporary bail plea which was demanding bail on the basis that he was 84 years old and vulnerable to Covid-19. Although the matter is still going on in the court of law.
