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<h6><span style="color: #000000;">Spiritual leader was accused of raping the teenage follower under the pretence of ridding her of evil spirits</span></h6>
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<h6><span style="color: #000000;">Asumal Harpalani, aka &#8216;Asaram Bapu&#8217;, 77, allegedly, raped the then-16-year-old girl in 2013 when she visited him at his retreat in Jodhpur with her mother</span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #000000;">The victim, now 21 said Asaram, who preaches a pious life free of sexual desires, assaulted her to drive away evil forces</span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #000000;">He was convicted of rape, criminal conspiracy and wrongful confinement, then sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday</span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #000000;">Two of four his co-defendants were also found guilty and sentenced to 20 years, while two others were acquitted</span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #000000;">Two close aides who turned prosecution witnesses against him were murdered in 2014 and 2015</span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #000000;">The &#8216;godman&#8217; infamously sparked outrage in 2013, suggesting a 23-year-old student in Delhi could’ve been prevented her gang rape and murder, if she had begged her assailants for mercy </span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #000000;">He&#8217;s also accused of raping another devotee, was linked to the killing of two students at another of his Hindu retreats</span></h6>
<h6><span style="color: #000000;">His son is also on trial for rape</span></h6>
<div class="entry-content entry-content-read-more">
<h6><strong><img class="alignnone wp-image-292016" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Asaram-Bapu-1.jpg" alt="Asaram Bapu 1" width="788" height="523" />No-sex preaching spiritual leader, Asaram Bapu, [white robe], will stay behind bars for life after his conviction for raping a teenage member of his sect<br />
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<p>Indian &#8216;godman&#8217; Asaram Bapu was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday after he was convicted of raping a teenage female devotee, five years ago, while her parents waited outside his door, during a séance.<br />
The verdict against 77-year-old Asumal Harpalani, better known by his spritual name, &#8216;Asaram Bapu&#8217;, was read at a closed hearing at a prison in Rajasthan state out of fears his supporters would resort to violence.<br />
Police were also on standby in Rajasthan and elsewhere in case of riots.<br />
The popular white-bearded guru, who has millions of followers all over the world, was also convicted of criminal conspiracy and wrongful confinement.<br />
The spiritualist who has 400 ashrams around the world where he teaches meditation and yoga, is also on trial in another rape case in western India state of Gujarat.<br />
Confirming the sentence, public prosecutor Pokar Ram Bishnoi told reporters, &#8216;“We argued that Asaram is not a saint,” Bishnoi said after the sentencing.<br />
In 2013, the then-16-year-old girl accused Asaram of raping her when she visited him at his retreat in Jodhpur with her mother. The now-21-year-old woman said Asaram assaulted her to drive away evil forces.</p>
<h6><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-292021" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Asaram-Bapu-3.jpg" alt="Asaram Bapu 3.jpg" width="800" height="449" />Asaram Bapu was convicted of the 2013 attack on the girl, a devotee at his ashram in Jodhpur, by a court holding in the city&#8217;s jail</strong></h6>
<p>Her family had been followers of Asaram, who preaches a pious life free of sexual desires, for more than a decade.<br />
Asaram was arrested in 2013 after a case of sexual assault was filed against him by the parents who alleged that he had assaulted their daughter.<br />
Police confirmed the couple, who had sent the girl to one of his ashrams for spiritual lessons, were summoned to see her as she was &#8220;under the influence of some supernatural ghostly powers&#8221;.<br />
They were then told to take their daughter to Jodhpur to meet the guru.<br />
The family arrived at the Jodhpur ashram August 14, 2013.<br />
The following night, Asaram called the victim to his room on the pretext of &#8220;curing&#8221; her. He then raped the victim while her parents waited outside chanting his prayers, police say.<br />
Court documents said the guru forced the victim to perform sexual acts on him and threatened to murder her family if she spoke about the incident.<br />
The victim told her parents what had happened the following day. They tried to confront Asaram, but were refused entry to his ashrams.<br />
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Love Guru jailed! India godman, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, whom judge called ‘wild beast’ to serve 20 years in prison for custodial rape</a><a href="https://konniemoments.com/2017/08/29/love-guru-jailed-india-godman-gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-whom-judge-called-wild-beast-to-serve-20-years-in-prison-for-custodial-rape/"><img class="attachment-loop size-loop wp-post-image alignleft" src="https://i0.wp.com/konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-5.jpg?resize=174%2C131&;ssl=1" alt="" width="174" height="131" data-attachment-id="246187" data-permalink="https://konniemoments.com/2017/08/29/love-guru-jailed-india-godman-gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-whom-judge-called-wild-beast-to-serve-20-years-in-prison-for-custodial-rape/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-5/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-5.jpg?fit=624%2C434&;ssl=1" data-orig-size="624,434" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{";aperture";:";0";,";credit";:";";,";camera";:";";,";caption";:";";,";created_timestamp";:";0";,";copyright";:";";,";focal_length";:";0";,";iso";:";0";,";shutter_speed";:";0";,";title";:";";,";orientation";:";0";}" data-image-title="Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh 5" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-5.jpg?fit=300%2C209&;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-5.jpg?fit=620%2C431&;ssl=1" /></a></p>
<article class="loop-wrap loop-layout1 clearfix post-246126 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-crime category-news category-religion category-world">
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<h6><strong><img class="alignnone wp-image-292020" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Women-in-India-protest-against-Asaram-Bapu-1.jpg" alt="Women in India protest against Asaram Bapu 1.jpg" width="694" height="389" />Female protesters rage against Asaram Bapu who has been linked to several case of rape and murder<br />
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<p>Asaram, who has denied the charges, has been jailed since his arrest that year. He said his trial was a political conspiracy and refused to cooperate with a police investigation.<br />
Two of four of his co-defendants were also found guilty and sentenced to 20 years. Two others were acquitted.<br />
Two close aides who had flipped to become key witnesses against him were murdered in 2014 and 2015.<br />
The influential leader ran more than 230 ashrams, or religious retreats, with residential schools.<br />
Asaram also stands accused of raping another devotee and was linked to the killing of two students at another of his Hindu retreats. Meanwhile, his son is on trial — also for rape.<br />
The so-called “godman” sparked outrage in 2013 when he said the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student in Dehli could’ve been prevented if she begged for mercy from her attackers.<br />
The indian city of Jodhpur is on high alert because of concerns there could be violence from the guru&#8217;s supporters, prompting the judge to delivered his verdict from the city&#8217;s jail because of concerns that it could provoke riots.<br />
He is expected to appeal the verdict.</p>
<h6><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-292017" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Gurmeet-Ram-Rahim-Singh-Ji-Insan-7.jpg" alt="Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan 7.jpg" width="1033" height="689" />Indian spiritual guru, Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan, was convicted of rape last year August. He received a 20-year sentence</strong></h6>
<p>Asaram’s conviction comes after weeks of public protests over the gang rape and murder of an 8-year-old and a separate assault of a teenager by a ruling party politician.<br />
To fight a rising flood tide of rape incidents, India’s government last week approved the death penalty for those convicted of raping children under age 12.<br />
Last year, another Indian spiritual guru <a href="https://konniemoments.com/2017/08/29/love-guru-jailed-india-godman-gurmeet-ram-rahim-singh-whom-judge-called-wild-beast-to-serve-20-years-in-prison-for-custodial-rape/">Dr. Saint Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim Insan </a>– known as the “guru in bling”, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping two female devotees.<br />
His supporters went on a days-long rampage that left 38 dead.</p>
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Self-styled Indian ‘godman’, Asaram Bapu, jailed for life for rape of teenage member of his sect! The guru preached a pious ascetic life, free of sexual desires
