A Gandhinagar Sessions Court sentenced self-proclaimed spiritual guru Asaram Bapu to life
imprisonment on charges of rape and sodomy.
The verdict is the second life term against the octogenarian, who is already serving a
life sentence following his 2018 conviction for raping a 16-year-old girl.
State of Gujarat also ordered him to pay 50,000 rupees (about $600) in compensation to the
victim. The latest ruling against him comes at a time when India's poor track record on violence
has been under the spotlight.
After Asaram was arrested in 2013 on the first rape charge, clashes broke out between his
supporters and police in several major cities.
Asaram was also held guilty for offences under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 506(2)
(criminal intimidation), 354 (assault with intent to outrage modesty of woman) and 357 (assault
to wrongfully confine a person) of the IPC.
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