Asaram Bapu’s son Narayan Sai gets life imprisonment in rape case
Surat, Apr 30: A sessions court here Tuesday sentenced Narayan Sai, the son of jailed self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, to life imprisonment in a rape case filed against him by a former woman devotee in 2013.
Additional Sessions Judge P S Gadhvi handed down the sentence to Sai and asked him to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the victim.
Besides Sai, lodged at the Lajpore Jail here since 2013, the court sentenced his three aides, including two women, to 10 years each in jail after holding them guilty of various offences.
His driver Rajkumar alias Ramesh Malhotra was sentenced to six months in prison.
The court had convicted Sai in the case on April 26 under IPC sections 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 323 (assault), 506-2 (criminal intimidation) and 120-B (conspiracy).
Sai's three aides, Dharmishtha alias Ganga, Bhavna alias Jamuna and Pavan alias Hanuman, were sentenced to 10 years each, while his driver was convicted under IPC Section 212 (harbouring an offender).
Of the total 11 accused, the court had acquitted six on April 26.
In 2013, after Asaram Bapu was arrested for allegedly raping a girl in Rajasthan, two Surat-based sisters had accused the self-styled godman and his son of sexual exploitation.
While the elder sister accused Asaram Bapu of sexual assaults between 1997 and 2006, when she lived at his Ahmedabad ashram, the younger one accused Sai of sexual assaults when she lived at Asaram Bapu's ashram in the Jahangirpura area of Surat between 2002 and 2005.
Sai was arrested from the Delhi-Haryana border in December 2013.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
