Asaram signboards demolished in Bhopal after his conviction in gangrape case

BHOPAL: Following the conviction of Asaram for raping a teenage girl at his ashram in 2013, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation on Wednesday evening took down and demolished signboards of a bus stop which was named after the self-styled godman.

As per the local body, all signboards and crossings named after him would be taken down, and new names would be assigned to them.

"Asaram Bapu has insulted the saint community and has caused shame to the society by doing wrong to a young girl. Therefore, it is our decision to eliminate all signboards and crossings bearing his name. We will decide upon a new name for them soon," Bhopal Deputy Mayor Alok Sharma told ANI.

On Wednesday, the Jodhpur Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Court awarded life imprisonment to Asaram after he was found guilty of raping a minor girl in Manai village near Jodhpur on August 15, 2013.

A teenage girl from Shahajahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, who was studying at the godman's ashram at Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh, had levelled charges of rape against Asaram.

The court also sentenced the two others accused, Shilpi and Sharad, to 20 years each in jail with respect to the same case. 

Asaram, along with his son, Narayan Sai, is also facing trial in Gujarat for raping two Surat-based sisters. One of the Surat-based girls filed a case against him, alleging sexual assaults between 1997 and 2006 when she was living in his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city.

(With inputs from ANI)