DG Vanzara has said Asaram has not been accused of rape. (File photo)
As thousands of his followers waited to hear the sentence for Asaram --
the self-styled godman who was found guilty of raping a minor -- former Gujarat police officer DG Vanzara made a surprising claim about the case. Asaram, he said, is not guilty of "what the world considers as rape" and expressed confidence that he would be released by a higher court.
Mr Vanzara, who spent 9 years in jail accused of extra-judicial killings before being cleared of all charges in August, said he had copies of both the First Information Report and the chargesheet of the case.
"The case was not about rape... During the trial, the victim has not said that she was raped. In the FIR, it is only mentioned that she was being touched inappropriately. Under this charge only, Bapuji has been found guilty," he told reporters.
Mr Vanzara admitted to being a "vigilant follower" of the 77-year-old, who has built up an empire worth around 10,000 crore over the last four decades. "DG Vanzara is a respected citizen of this country. I have never hidden any relationship I've had with the Ashram or with Bapuji," he said.
A
court in Jodhpur has found Asaram guilty of raping a young girl at his ashram near Jodhpur in 2013. He was given a life term in jail and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. His lawyers had argued for a shorter sentence, contending that the girl was 18 years old when the sexual assault took place.
Asaram and his son Narayan Sai have also been accused of rape and illegal confinement by two sisters in Gujarat's Surat. The assaults allegedly took place between 2002 and 2004. The trial is on at a court in Gandhinagar and the Supreme Court has asked that it be completed within five weeks.
Mr Vanzara, however, dubbed it all "bad publicity".
"All the attempts being made to defame a saint like Asaram Bapu, (this) isn't in the country's interest or in the interest of the Hindus or in the interest of Sanathan Dharm," said the former officer who had announced plans to enter politics after he was released from jail.