Asaram Bapu: the most controversial godman of the year

New Delhi: The micro-blogging site Twitter was recently flooded with tweets by Asaram followers demanding his release and justifying it by giving example of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and actor Sanjay Dutt who were released on bail.
But this isn’t the first time in the year that Asaram attracted the glare of media. The controversial self-styled godman Asaram Bapu has remained in the headlines for almost the entire second half of the year.

The rape allegations on Asaram first landed him into trouble and eventually into jail. The image of a peacekeeper godman which Asaram had created through his discourses was all washed away with wink of an eye.
Once the minor accused Asaram of sexual abuse, troubles and more accusations followed. He was a termed a sex addict, he was accused of land grabbing and his family members were also booked under various charges. Eventually, the 72-year old godman was sent into police custody in Jodhpur.

But this is not the first time that controversies have clouded Asaram. Earlier, in 2008 two brothers Abhishek and Dipesh Vaghela were found dead in Asaram’s Motera in Gujarat. A chargesheet was filed against Asaram in connection with the case. In 2012, a chargesheet was filed by the Gujarat Criminal Investigation Department against 7 people from Asaram’s ashram in relation with death of the 2 boys under mysterious circumstances.
In 2009, Raju Chandak, who was a trustee in Asaram’s ashram, filed a police complaint accusing Asaram and 2 others making an attempt to kill him.

In the next year, Asaram landed into encroachment troubles. The Gujarat government claimed 67,099 square meters of land on which Asaram’s ashram had been built.

Apart from these controversies, what gave birth to fury in the masses against Asaram was his controversial statement which he gave after the sensational `Delhi gang rape’. According to Asaram, the victim was equally responsible for what had taken place with her. He suggested that she should have begged and called them `brother’ in order to save herself.

Waiting for a  bail from inside Jodhpur jail, Asaram has become the most controversial godman of the year.

Source : http://www.indiatvnews.com/crime/news/latest-news-asaram-bapu-most-controversial-godman-of-the-year-4801.html?page=1