Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai coming out from Bhopal airport after they missed the flight
Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu, accused of sexually assaulting a schoolgirl in Jodhpur earlier this month, ignored the deadline set for him to travel to the city and meet with investigators. His son said the popular guru is unwell; the Rajasthan Police has said it cannot grant him an extension and will arrest him if the charges against him are proven.
A team of the Rajasthan Police is likely to travel to Bhopal to interrogate the 75-year-old who is at his
ashram in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. If he does not provide an "adequate defense", the police said, he may be arrested.
But in Madhya Pradesh, top leaders of the ruling BJP have spoken in his defense; the police is worried about a violent backlash by his vast number of supporters in the state.
Asaram Bapu's office had previously rejected the allegations against him as baseless.
He allegedly told the teen's parents on August 15 that he needed to meet their daughter alone after being told of concerns she was possessed by evil spirits.
"He asked her parents to recite some religious mantras at the entrance gate and took the girl inside his room where he allegedly exploited the girl," Jodhpur police officer Ajay Lamba told news agency AFP.
The girl told her parents two days later about the alleged attack and the family travelled to New Delhi to confront him. The guru refused to meet them, prompting them to go to the police.