72-Year-Old Godman Accused of Sexually Molesting a 15-Year-Old Girl

What was Asaram Bapu accused of?

A 72-year-old sadhu was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl (initially reported as 15; later established as 16). When police went to his ashram for interrogation, the baba made the police wait for hours — he claimed he was in meditation, and the police listened. They knew the baba was being accused of a crime, and still they waited. The behavior of the police, though not new, was proof of the mess the country was in.

The 72-year-old sadhu had an ashram in Jodhpur and many followers. He threatened the victim not to tell anybody, trying to scare her by saying that a lot of harm would come to her if she did. But the girl still spoke up — which was remarkable. We have to start educating our girls that it is not her fault that she was molested or raped. Molestation and rape happen not because the girl in question is good-looking or wearing provocative clothes or alone in an unprotected place — they happen because rapists and molesters have a criminal mindset.

Who defended him?

Asaram Bapu denied all charges. To everyone's surprise, he was not arrested right away — he was given time to present himself before the police. He said the girl was like a granddaughter to him because her parents were his disciples.

BJP Vice President Uma Bharti waded into controversy, saying the charge could be "politically motivated," claiming Asaram was being targeted for criticizing Congress leadership. After sharp criticism, she backtracked, telling NDTV she was not defending him and only wanted proper use of the law.

The case was also raised in the Indian Parliament — the Home Ministry wrote to three states in connection with the sexual assault case.

Why do people keep following such babas?

Each town in India will have some sadhu that the people treat as God-like. Even after so many of these so-called men of God have been accused, their popularity has not declined. It's not just the poor or uneducated who follow these babas blindly — it's also the rich and highly educated who are blinded by faith in these sadhus. OMG – Oh My God! (2012) was such a successful film — it addressed the evil side of these fake babas — but in general, nothing changed in India. People will continue believing their spiritual gurus instead of getting spiritual in the true sense — which is treating truth as it is, and not what some guru tells me.

What happened to Asaram?

He was arrested from his Indore ashram on August 31, 2013, and taken to Jodhpur. After a nearly five-year trial, a Jodhpur POCSO court convicted him on April 25, 2018, of raping the minor and sentenced him to life imprisonment — two aides got 20 years each. In January 2023, a Gandhinagar court sentenced him to life imprisonment again, for raping a woman disciple between 2001 and 2006. Both convictions stand.

Reuters: Asaram jailed for life for teen rape (2018)