Prisoner No.130 Asaram spends sleepless night in Jodhpur jail after conviction

A Jodhpur court on Wednesday sentenced Asaram to life in prison after finding him guilty of raping a teenage girl in his ashram five years ago, the second case of a powerful spiritual leader being convicted of a sexual offence in less than a year.

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Jodhpur: Self -styled godman Asaram, spent his first night as a convict in rape case without sleeping. As per sources, Asarm kept watching the news stories of his conviction on various news channels inside the jail premises and got very emotional. He has been assigned the tag of prisoner no. 130. Asaram’s entire life has turned upside down after Wednesday’s conviction as he no longer will be able to consume homemade food and will only have to live on jail food. Also, since he is no longer on trial, he will have to wear jail clothes only. A Jodhpur court on Wednesday sentenced Asaram to life in prison after finding him guilty of raping a teenage girl in his ashram five years ago, the second case of a powerful spiritual leader being convicted of a sexual offence in less than a year. Special judge Madhusudan Sharma's verdict, which comes as the debate over sexual violence, particularly the rape of minors, intensifies across the country, was read out in the Jodhpur Central Jail where 77-year-old Asaram has been kept for over four years. Asaram will be in prison till his natural death, the court pronounced, convicting him under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice Act. It also imposed of fine of Rs 1 lakh on him. The godman's lawyers, who pleaded that he was not guilty, said they would appeal against the verdict. Police had stepped up security around Asaram's ashrams to prevent the kind of violence that was unleashed by followers when another so-called godman, Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim, was convicted of rape last August. Apart from Asaram, two other accused, Sharad and Shilpi -- both employees at Asaram's ashrams -- were handed down 20-year jail terms by the special court hearing cases of crime against children. It acquitted two others. The judge lamented in his 453-page judgement that by his heinous act the godman has not merely shattered the faith of his devotees in him but has also harmed the reputation of saints among common people. Arguments for the quantum of sentencing were held inside the heavily fortified jail premises, where the trial court delivered its verdict in accordance with the directions of the Rajasthan High Court.