Asaram Ashram asked to vacate land in Surat

The 34,000 sqare metre land was encroached by authorities of Asaram Ashram Trust in 1995 

Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court on Friday rejected the appeal of Asaram Bapu Trust in Surat against the single judge bench order, and directed it to vacate the land in Jahangirpura area of the city and return it to its original owners.

 

A division bench of Justices R M Doshit and S D Dave rejected the appeal of the Trust against the order of single- judge bench of Justice M R Shah passed in 2006.

The land in Jahagirpura belonged to some farmers. It was acquired under the provisions of Land Acquisition Act by the state government for public use.

The 34,000 sq mt land was encroached by authorities of Asaram Ashram Trust in 1995. The state government later passed an order regularising the encroachment in January 1997.

Angered over this, Anil Vyas, one of the farmers whose land was acquired by the state government and later transfered it to the Trust, approached the Gujarat High Court and challenged the government’s decision.

Adv Nimish Kapadia, appearing on behalf of Vyas had contended that this land was acquired by state government for public use and not to be given to any organisation for private use. He said no consent was taken from Vyas or other farmers before transferring the land to the Trust.

The court after hearing the arguments from Vyas’s and government’s side had decided in favour of Vyas and has ordered Ashram Trust to vacate the land.

© Copyright 2008 PTI. All rights reserved.

 

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1656865

Asaram Bapu’s son booked for forgery

MUMBAI: The Virar police have registered a case against Narayan Sai, the son of spiritual guru Asaram Bapu, on Friday, for forgery and criminal intimidation.

At present, 35-year-old Narayan lives at Sabarmati in Gujarat. No arrests have been made so far.

The case is three years old. The complainant, Mahendra Chawla, is an insurance advisor. He used to live at Asaram Bapu’s ashram in Virar between May 1998 and August 2005.

Chawla told the police that in July 2005, he along with other inmates had objected to Narayan’s activities at the ashram. Consequently, Narayan had allegedly forced him to sign on five blank documents.

“After receiving threats, I decided to leave the ashram,” Chawla told TOI. But when asked why it took him three years to file an FIR, Chawla could not come up with an answer.

The FIR also includes the names of two other men Kaushalya Thakur and Rajendra Singh who work with Narayan. Sections 323, 465, 468, 504, 506, 507 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code have been applied to him for forgery and criminal intimidation.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Asaram_Bapus_son_booked_for_forgery/articleshow/3382495.cms

CID seeks permission for narco test on Asaram Ashram inmates

Ahmedabad, August 23

The CID (Crime) has sought permission for a narco-analysis test on two ashram inmates in connection with the mysterious deaths of two minor boys at the Asaram Ashram-run gurukul in Ahmedabad in July.

The investigating agency moved the application today for a test on Pankaj Saxena, rector at the Asaram Ashram gurukul in Motera and Yogesh Bhati, a sadhak at the ashram, after failing to make much headway into the investigations.

The application was moved in the Metropolitan Court that has put the matter for hearing on August 22.

The mutilated bodies of Abhishek and Deepak Vaghela were found in the Sabarmati river bed on July 5, two days after they mysteriously disappeared from the ashram

Ex-aide accuses Asaram Bapu’s son of forgery

Ram Parmar

The Gaoshala at Virar; (inset) the way leading to the gaoshala A former personal assistant of Narayan Sai, son of spiritual leader Asaram Bapu, has lodged a complaint with the Virar police, alleging that Sai forged his signature in a land deal in Virar in 2005. He further alleged that Sai has been threatening him to “keep quiet” or else his life would be in danger. Mahendrasinh Chawla (30), a resident of Panipat in Haryana, worked as PA to Narayan Sai from January 2001 to August 2005. Due to the nature of his work, Sai took him to various places in India. In February 2005, Sai visited Vasai for a discourse, and following the demand of devotees, decided to start a gaoshala (cowshed) in Kumbharpada, Virar, on a 10-acre plot. According to Chawla, without his knowledge Sai allegedly forged his signature on the agreement papers to set up Shri Narayan Sai Trust to manage the gaoshala. But the gaoshala was on government land, and in July 2005 the Virar grampanchayat issued a demolition notice since the cowshed was illegal. “It was then that I learnt my name was involved and that Sai had forged my signature,” said Chawla on phone from Panipat, where he now works as an insurance agent. “When I confronted Sai about it, he told me to keep quiet,” said Chawla. “In August 2005 I quit my job and returned to Panipat,” he added. Mahendrasinh Chawla, the complainant “Before that, Sai had also sent me to learn black magic at a Ranchi temple, where a 75-year-old tantrik was supposed to train me. “But the tantrik refused to teach me black magic as I was young (then 24),” said Chawla who is now 30. “I am ready for a narco test and demand that Narayan Sai should also take the test,” Chawla alleged. WHY NOW? When asked why he decided to lodge a police complaint three year after the incident, Chawla said that after hearing of the four children who died in  Asaram Bapu’s ashrams in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, he decided to reveal ‘a different side of Narayan Sai’. Chawla claims that Sai has been threatening him all along, and that he received the last threatening call on July 30 this year. “I gathered courage and complained to the Virar police on August 15 against Narayan Sai and his cronies,” said Chawla. “My signatures were forged on the documents to make it appear as if I am a party to Narayan Sai’s working style,” said Chawla. Efforts to contact Narayan Sai at his ashram at Sabarmati in Ahmedabad proved futile as this correspondent was told that Sai was on tour. POLICE SPEAK “We have registered Chawla’s complaint against Narayan Sai, Hanumant Thakur and Rajendra Singh (employees of the ashram who work under Sai) and are conducting investigations,” said senior inspector Pradip Mane of Virar police station. “We may send a team to Gujarat in this regard as the allegations are serious,” said Mane.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=2008082020080820023728762bdf7f48f&pageno=1

Court orders police to file case against Asaram ashram (Lead)

Ahmedabad, Aug 26 (IANS) Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu faces more trouble as the Gujarat High Court Tuesday ordered a police case to be filed against his ashram here in connection with an attack on journalists last month.The bench of acting Chief Justice M.S. Shah and Justice J.C. Upadhyay gave the ruling on a public interest litigation filed by an NGO, Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM), on Aug 17, urging the court to direct the Gujarat government to set up a special investigative team headed by a deputy inspector general to probe the attack allegedly by Asaram Bapu’s supporters.

The court also ordered that statements of those who were injured or whose properties were burnt or destroyed be recorded in a transparent manner by filing first information reports (FIRs) without delay, said JSM lawyer Shamshad Pathan.

When government pleader Bipin Desai argued that not even one individual had come forward to file an FIR from the Ramakaka-ni-chali, close to the ashram in Motera on city outskirts, where properties were said to have been destroyed, the court observed that police investigation has to be thorough and the government and the police force need to change their attitude or justice in the real sense will never be done.

The court had issued notices to the state government, the state home secretary, the state’s director general of police and the Gandhinagar district superintendent of police Aug 17.

Civic organisations had given a call for Ahmedabad shutdown July 18 to protest the allegedly tardy probe into the mysterious deaths of Dipesh Vaghela, 10, and his cousin Abhishek, 12. The boys, studying in the gurukul run by the ashram in Motera, were found dead in the riverbed nearby on July 6.

While police initially said the two had died of drowning, their parents said they might have been victims of occult practices.

During the shutdown, a group of journalists outside the ashram was attacked and many of them were injured. People from the ashram had also allegedly destroyed properties in nearby areas.

The Gandhinagar police had later arrested seven people identifying the assailants on the video recording of the incident by the electronic media. However, all of them were released on bail later by the Gandhinagar civil court.

The Motera centre run by the Asharam Bapu Trust refused to comment on the court’s order.

 

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/court-orders-police-to-file-case-against-asaram-ashram-lead_10088977.html

Gujarat HC asks police to file FIRs against Asaram followers

Ahmedabad, Aug 26: Gujarat High Court on Tuesday asked the police to file FIRs against the Asaram Bapu’s followers who had attacked media persons and people during the July 18 shutdown here over mysterious deaths of two boys of a school run by the asram of the spiritual leader.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by NGO Jan Sangarsh Manch last week asking for setting up of a Special Investigation Team to probe the attacks on mediapersons and people living near the Asaram Bapu ashram here by supporters of the religious guru last month.

A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice M S Shah and Justice D H Waghela ordered the police to file FIRs against Asaram’s ‘sadhaks’ (followers) and take appropriate action.

The court also said the NGO, which claims to have a list of people attacked by the sadhaks, will provide the names to the police for investigation in the case.

The PIL has also sought compensation from the state government for the people injured in the attacks.

Violence was reported in the city during a bandh called to protest the death of Abhishek and Dipesh Vaghela who were students of a school run by the ashram.

Their decomposed bodies were found from the bank of river Sabarmati near here on July 5, two days after they were reported missing.

State CID (Crime) has not been able to solve the mystery behind the death of the boys.

Bureau Report
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=464626&sid=REG

Godmen and Mortal World

Happenings at Asaram Bapu’s Ashram

Death of two students of Gurukul (traditional schools run by Hindu Gurus) of Asaram Bapu’s Ashram (July 2008) has raised multiple questions. The children staying in the Ashram were missing for some time before being found dead near the river. The post mortem showed that some of their organs are missing. The parents of the children accused the Ashram residents for practicing black magic and removing children’s organs. Asaram in reply said that the residents of his ashram hear Bhagvat and other holy books, how they can be involved in such an act and that they won’t even kill a dog. Later two related events took place. One, when Asaram had to travel by air and as a part of security drill he was frisked second time, a random check applied some times, his followers created ruckus. The listeners of Bhagvat etc. rampaged and expressed their anger for the Holy man being subjected to the mundane rules. Also the same ashramites attacked the journalists, severely beating up a woman journalist, who had to be hospitalized. So much for the Bhagvat induced tolerant attitude!This holy man has lot of other incidents to his account. In Jhabua area his female Sadhvis beat up the nuns in the Christian mission school when a 13year old girl was raped and killed by an outsider, who had nothing to do with the school. The same Holy seer sat on protest dharana when Shankaracharya was arrested on the charges, which were far from divine. An act of solidarity indeed! An FIR has also been filed against him for grabbing one and a half acre of land in Patna.

http://contemporary-india.blogspot.com/2008/09/godmen-and-mortal-world.html