Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu at Jodhpur prison
Supporters of religious preacher Asaram Bapu - under investigation for charges of sexually assaulting a schoolgirl in one of his ashrams - have tried to bribe and threaten cops, the Rajasthan police have said.
The Jodhpur police told a court that Deputy Commissioner of Police AP Lamba, who is leading the probe into a 16-year-old's allegation that the spiritual leader sexually assaulted her in one of his ashrams, had received a threatening letter on Tuesday.
The letter was allegedly faxed from Uttar Pradesh.
"Yes, our DCP was threatened," Assistant Commissioner of Police Chanchal Mishra told reporters, and confirmed an attempt to bribe the police team before they arrested Asaram Bapu from his Indore ashram on Saturday.
DCP Lamba had publicly said that the police had sufficient evidence against the guru and had corroborated the statement of the girl.
Asaram Bapu, who was sent to 14-day judicial custody, has been jailed in the Jodhpur Central prison. The 75-year-old has pleaded for bail on grounds that he is "unwell", but the court today reserved its decision.
Sources say the self-styled godman has insisted on food from his ashram and has refused to drink any water without adding drops from his bottle of 'gangajal' or holy Ganga water.
The police say Asaram Bapu had "lied" about being unwell as doctors had found him medically fit. The cops also said he had cleared a "potency test", indicating he was capable of sexual assault.
The spiritual leader, who teaches yoga and meditation, denies that he spent nearly an hour alone with the teen complainant at his ashram in Jodhpur. He told the police that he met the girl and her family as part of the massive crowd that gathered for his 'satsang' or religious discourse on August 15.