Powered by
Sponsored by

Body of minor girl found in a car parked outside Asaram Bapu's ashram

The 13-year-old had been missing since April 5

murder-plan-shutterstock Representative image | Shutterstock

The body of a 13-year-old girl, who had gone missing on April 5 has been found on the premises of an ashram owned by jailed godman Asaram Bapu. 

Additional SP of Gonda, Shiv Raj Prajapati said that the girl’s family had lodged an FIR on April 7. “The FIR was against three named persons. On the night of April 7, police received information that a body was inside a vehicle at a satsang sthal (a place where spiritual discourses are dispensed) right in front of her home. Higher officials and dog squads were immediately dispatched. The postmortem is on. Evidence is being collected.”

The body was discovered between 3 and 4 am on the intervening night of April 7 and 8. 

Asaram is currently in a jail in Jodhpur in connection with the rape of a minor girl. He has been declared a fake ascetic by the apex body of saints in the country. 

The car in which the body was found was parked on the premises for the last few days. Late on Thursday night when a strong foul smell began to emanate from it, workers at the ashram opened it to find the body. They informed the police thereafter. 

The ashram has since been sealed. All workers at the ashram are being questioned in addition to locals. A forensic team is examining the car in which the body was found. 

The mother of the deceased has claimed that her husband has been missing for the last three years. “Those who are responsible for my husband’s disappearance are also responsible for my daughter’s murder”, she said. 

It is being speculated that the girl had left home after a tiff with her mother. She was suffering from epilepsy. 

Asaram, who has millions of followers is held to be innocent by them. Besides the rape, there have been murmurs of many wrong-doings against him, including encroachment and extortions. He has claimed that he has a record of setting up 400 ashrams in the country. 

In the present case too, his followers have sprung to his defence, calling reprehensible the linking of Asaram to the murder in any way. 

The UP Congress tweeted that nothing had changed in the state despite the government’s claim. It is noteworthy that the state is currently implementing Mission Shakti for the safety of women.

📣 The Week is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TheWeekmagazine) and stay updated with the latest headlines