Probe ordered into prayer meet "glorifying" Asaram in UP jail

Shahjahanpur (Uttar Pradesh) : Authorities started probe into allegations that godman Asaram, who is doing time for rape, was "glorified" in the jail.

The rape victim's father complained of Asaram being "glorified" at the "satsang" (prayer meeting) in the prison.

The allegations followed reports that said the godman's two followers from Lucknow had come to the Shahjahanpur jail on Tuesday; they distributed blankets and held a prayer meeting in which Asaram's photograph was placed.

"Asaram's followers are doing this to refurbish the image of a rape convict," victim's father said demanding probe.

Uttar Pradesh Additional Inspector General (Jail) Sharad Kulshrestha ordered the deputy inspector general for Bareilly zone to probe it.

Shahjahanpur District Magistrate Indra Vikram Singh said a notice had been issued to the jail administration following reports and action would be taken after receiving the reply.

Asaram was convicted in April 2018 of raping a Shahjahanpur girl at his ashram near Jodhpur in 2013.

He was arrested by the Jodhpur Police in August 2013 and has been in jail since.

Earlier, Shahjahanpur Jail superintendent Rakesh Kumar confirmed the distribution of 75 blankets in the jail.

According to another version, the blankets were distributed by Arjun and Narain Pandey, who were earlier in the Shahjahanpur jail for allegedly killing a witness in a rape case.

The jail superintendent said Pandey had fallen ill and got well after being treated at the prison hospital. When he was released on bail, he pledged to distribute blankets in the jail.

"They had sent the blankets, which were distributed in the jail. The allegation of "glorification" and a "satsang" inside the jail is baseless," he said.

IANS report with edits