india

Updated: Apr 26, 2019 14:00 IST

A local court on Friday convicted Narayan Sai, son of self-styled godman Asaram, in a rape case. The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on April 30.

“Two chargesheets were filed against 35 persons. The prosecution had produced 53 witnesses and documents as evidence. The defense had also produced 14 witnesses,” said Sai’s lawyer Kalpesh Desai.

The 40-year-old Narayan Sai was arrested from Pipli near Haryana’s Kurukshetra in December 2013 after two sisters from Surat filed rape complaints against him and his father Asaram in October that year.

One of the women had accused Sai of repeated sexual assaults when they were living at Asaram’s ashram between 2002 and 2005 in Surat. The victim’s elder sister had also made a similar allegation against Asaram while she was living at an ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad between 1997 and 2006.

The two sisters had lodged separate complaints against Sai and Asaram for allegedly raping them. Police had booked Asaram and his son Narayan Sai on charges of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other offences.

Four of Sai’s aides were also arrested in connection with the case.

Timeline:

October 6, 2013: Sexual assault case filed against Narayan Sai and four others in Jahangirpura police station

October 9, 2013: Victim deposes before judge under CRPC section 164

October 25, 2013: Police raid Asaram’s Ahmedabad ashram, many documents seized

November 16, 2013: Cash prize of Rs 5 lakh announced over information on Narayan Sai and Rs 1 lakh on aides Hanuman and Jamuna

November 21, 2013: Narayan Sai’s anticipatory bail plea cancelled

December 4, 2013: Narayan Sai arrested from Punjab-Haryana border