Ahmedabad, Sun Oct 20: The Gandhinagar Sessions Court on Saturday extended Asaram’s remand by four days.
His remand period got over on Saturday after which he was produced in the court. The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing the Surat sisters’ sexual assault case against the self-styled godman, demanded a 10-day extension of his remand to probe into evidence that the sisters had submitted to the team.
The SIT said Asaram and his ashram’s officials used to force girls who became pregnant after being sexually assaulted to abort. The Surat sisters have reportedly produced evidence pertaining to abuse and abortions.
In the remand plea, the SIT stated Asaram was not cooperating during the investigation and that his recent potency test result matches with that conducted in Jodhpur. It also said that investigation related to ashram activities and the role of his wife Laxmi and daughter Bharti are yet to be probed.
Asaram’s advocate B M Gupta said, “We have cooperated with the police and told the court to grant the remand period of as many days as the police want. However, the police don’t have evidence to prove their case. The police are being inhuman to him. The court has granted remand period till October 22.”
Laxmi and Bharti appeared before the Ahmedabad police Saturday, following the Gandhinagar Sessions Court’s orders. Despite security, the women followers of Asaram shouted slogans against the police. The Gandhinagar Sessions Court, while passing an order on October 18, had granted anticipatory bail to the two asking them to appear before the police on Friday.
