Is a political conspiracy afoot to save Asaram Bapu?

The murder of Kripal Singh, a key witness of Muzzafarnagar in a rape case against Asaram Bapu, the self-styled godman who was arrested in September 2013 following a rape charge, within a fortnight of India Today’s explosive story on how witnesses were being liquidated by his followers, is a clear indication that there is no fear of the law in the minds of his die-hard followers — let’s call them “henchmen” now. In the light of his brigade’s total disregard for law and order, as well as the slow pace of investigation by the police in assault cases against his followers in most states except by a section of Gujarat police, it won’t be an overstatement to claim that the Asaram clan draws strength from a section of powerful politicians in the country spread across all parties, whose secrets he oestensibly is aware of. This should be seen in the context of an old allegation that the pan-India Asaram network worth over Rs 10,000 crore has stakes among some of our top politicians as also bureaucrats.

So, only a Supreme Court-appointed CBI investigation covering all aspects of the countrywide racket can bring facts to the fore. Over the past two decades, followers who challenged him have disappeared. Many of Asaram’s current followers-turned-enemies are also not willing to dwell on his alleged nefarious activities beyond a point because they themselves were party to them. Most of them would have to face the law in case they make some revelations. Like in the instance involving one Ahmedabad witness in a rape case against Asaram, who had allegedly carried out many violent operations on behalf of the Asaram brigade, and therefore, is not willing to expose the self-proclaimed godman beyond a point. The reason is obvious: the “witness” himself would get embroiled.

For example, there is a case of a girl from Ambala who was violated by someone close to Asaram a decade ago in Haryana. She is now married, living in Ahmedabad. Her father was willing to lodge a complaint and even go to the media when the incident happened, irrespective of the social stigma. But no one supported him then, including the police and the media. Now he says since his daughter is married he would like to stay away. For good reasons.

So, the ambit of a CBI probe should cover the entire gamut of Asaram’s unholy empire and activities, going all the way into the past.

Interestingly, the financial strength of Asaram gives an insight into his possible political and bureaucratic connections. The true monetary muscle of the self-styled godman was revealed in 2013-end when the Surat police, on the trail of his son Narayan Sai, absconding at that time in the face of a fresh rape allegation, raided the premises of a builder close to Asaram and his family in Ahmedabad and recovered 32 big-sized sacks containing documents of his property investments. How crucial were these documents for Asaram’s public and legal survival came to light when his right-hand man, Uday Sanghani, tried to bribe Surat police with a sum of Rs 7 crore through two police inspectors. One of the police inspectors, Abdul Rahim Zabba, a reader to Surat police commissioner Rakesh Asthana, was offered Rs 1 crore as bribe for replacing the original documents in the 32 sacks with false ones. Zabba, an officer known for his honesty and efficiency, informed his boss.

Next, a trap was laid and Sanghani and another police inspector, C Kumbhani, who had already taken a huge bribe, were arrested in a deft operation that uncovered Asaram’s ugly plot to destroy evidence. The probe led to recovery of Rs 7 crore which had been earmarked by Sanghani for bribing the police and destroying the evidence at any cost. The Surat police did a thorough job under Asthana and the scrutiny of the documents lay bare the fact that Asaram presides over an empire valued at over Rs 10,000 crore which is spread all across India.

The Surat police, after doing their own investigation, forwarded the findings with documents to the Enforcement Directorate as well as the Income Tax department. That not much has happened on this even after the change of government in Delhi last year creates doubts in the minds of Asaram observers that he still has moles in the corridors of power, who, even if not in hand in glove with him now after knowing about his allegedly nefarious activities, would still want a cover-up in order to save themselves.

Interestingly, in 2008 when scams about Asaram started tumbling out and India Today did a big exposé on him, Narendra Modi was the first politician who started distancing himself from Asaram by asking the police to take action against him. The Gujarat government’s then action against his illicit possession of government lands went so far that Asaram publicly condemned Modi. However, the same might not be case at least with some others. And it assumes huge significance for the Asaram case when compared with the fact that almost 80 per cent of chief ministers in west, north and central India and even party heads and top leaders belonging to diverse political parties including the BJP and the Congress have attended his programmes.

Those who got too close to him could still be part of the Asaram cover-up for fear of exposure. On the other hand, the Asaram brigade is quite capable of blackmailing them. It’s the Modi government’s call now, as also that of the states where action hasn't yet being taken against his cohorts and even the Supreme Court of India.