Witness in Asaram rape case goes missing

Lucknow: A witness in the rape trial against Asaram has gone missing from Thakurganj area in Lucknow, adding a further twist in the cases involving the self-styled godman that have seen several other witnesses being either attacked or murdered.

Rahul Sachan, a witness in rape cases against Asaram, has been missing since November 26, Station Officer Samar Bahadur Yadav said, adding that a report in this regard has been lodged on the basis of a complaint by his security guard, constable Vijay Bahadur.

Asaram has been in jail in Jodhpur since September, 2013.

Two months later, along with his son Narayan Sai, the self- styled godman was booked for the alleged rape of two sisters at their ashram in Gujarat's Surat.

Nine witnesses have been attacked so far and three of them have died.

Talking about the missing witness, Yadav said that Sachan never used to share his address and rarely took his security guard with himself.

The guard went to Sachan's residence four days back but was told by the former's landlord that he had not come to his lodgings for many days. He said that Sachan was missing since November 26.

Asaram is facing trial in three criminal cases.

A sessions court in Jodhpur is trying a case against Asaram on the charge of raping a 16-year-old girl, the daughter of a Shahjahanpur couple who had been his devotees for several years, in August 2013 in his Jodhpur ashram.

Another case is being tried by a Gandhinagar court which relates to allegations of rape between 2001 and 2006, levelled by a Surat-based woman against Asaram.

In yet another case, Asaram and his son Narayan Sai have been accused of rape on October 6, 2013, by two sisters, also from Surat.