Patna: A Bihar court has taken congnizance against spiritual guru Asaram Bapu and two others in a defamation case lodged by the administrator of the Bihar State Religious Trust Board, Kishore Kunal.
Judicial magistrate Divya Vashishtha yesterday took cognizance of charges against Asaram Bapu, Swami Narendra Goswami and Jai Kumar Singh under section 500 (defamation),508 (inducing a person to believe that he will be doomed by divine man's curse, if he did not follow the divine man) and 120 (B) (criminal comspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
The court would decide on April 24 issuing summons to the accused persons.
Kunal had lodged a complaint in the court against the three persons on March 21, 2009, accusing them of organising a procession and using unparliamentary language to tarnish his image.
Kunal had alleged that Bapu's men had assaulted a constable of Kadamkuan police station here and the Superintendent of the Bihar Religious Trust Board when they
had gone to execute a court order to free the property of Bhikhamdas Ram Janki Thakurwadi Kadamkuan here from forcible occupation of Bapu and his men on May 4, 2009.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, April 22, 2010, 12:01