[UPDATE: Shiva has been acquitted by the learned trial court in the 453-page judgment, passed by the Special Judge (SC/ST court) Madhusudhan Sharma on 25 April 2018, convicting Asaram and others.]
Asaram Bapu regularly met women alone at night in his dhyan ki kutiya (meditation hut) to heal them, Shiva, the personal attendant of the religious guru has told the police, Rajasthan additional advocate general Anand Purohit informed the sessions and district magistrate (rural) on Wednesday.
In Pics: Asaram Bapu sent to 14-day judicial custody in sexual assault case
Details provided by Shiva, whom the police have been interrogating since Sunday, strengthen the case against Asaram, Purohit said. The guru has been accused of sexually assaulting the minor daughter of a disciple inside his Jodhpur ashram on the night of August 15.
Related: Asaram threatened me to keep quiet, say minor
The magistrate rejected Asarams plea for bail and left him in judicial custody. The court gave the police custody of Shiva for another three days.
Related: Asaram sent to jail for 14 days,admits spent ‘one and a half hours’ with minor
Investigators said they have substantial evidence to conclude that Asaram, Shiva and Shilpi, the hostel warden, conspired to get the 16-year-old victim to Jodhpur from Chhindwara where she studied. Call detail records show Shilpi had been in constant touch with both Asaram and the girls family, and that the contact grew very frequent in the week before the girl was allegedly assaulted, they said.
Related: Blindly following Asaram was ‘big mistake’, says victim’s father
Sources close to the investigation said they believe Shilpi and Asaram discussed the condition and movement of the girl, and that Shilpi reassured Asaram that he would get the opportunity to heal her.
Related: Asaram clears potency test, police prepares ‘water-tight’ case against him
Call records show Shilpi to have been in touch also with Shiva, who was allegedly instructed to escort the family to Asarams doorstep. Shiva could not, however, receive them at Jodhpur railway station, and instead asked them to take an auto, whose driver he spoke with by phone to give directions to Asarams Manai ashram.
