Authorities in the
northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh found Baba Premdas, a 60-year old
follower of Bapu, bleeding at his home in Amethi from apparently
self-inflicted wounds, city police chief Alankrita Singh told CNN.
Premdas was admitted to a local hospital and then taken to a bigger
health facility for surgery where his condition "is stable", said Singh.
Asked whether his act was
related to the arrest of Asaram Bapu, Singh added, "We have heard such
things, but all this is unconfirmed."
"Some say it was because of Bapu's arrest," said Singh to AFP earlier, "some say it was because he feared ending up in Bapu's situation. No one knows."
Bapu has denied the
sexual assault allegations leveled by the teenage girl and her parents,
both devotees of the guru. The elderly preacher has also claimed he is
physically incapable of rape but police say medical tests show him to be
in good shape.
"The team of doctors is
saying he is perfectly, medically, mentally and physically fit," said
Ajayal Lamba, Deputy Commissioner of Police in Jodhpur.
Bapu, also referred to as
the "godman" in local Indian media, is currently in jail awaiting trial
after a court rejected his bail plea earlier this week, public
prosecutor Anand Purohit told CNN. The prosecution plans to present a
detailed dossier of the charges in the trial soon, he said.
This month's unfolding
rape case against Bapu is just the latest in a series of sexual assault
incidents in India since late 2012 that have gained high-profile
attention both for their frequency and ferocity.
It was the gang rape and
murder of a 23-year-old student in New Delhi last December that
galvanized Indian society and the media in particular, to examine the
pervasive incidence of rape and other forms of violence against women.
The barbarity of the crime ignited a wide-ranging discussion across all
levels of the Indian media and prompted multiple debates in the national
and regional assemblies. Stung into action by public outrage, the
government instituted new laws and crucially stricter punishments, which
includes the death penalty when victims are killed or left in a
vegetative state.
Furthermore in a sharp
departure with previous practice, predatory behavior such as voyeurism,
stalking and groping can now lead to arrest and punishment. India's
court system is now making greater use of fast-track trials to prosecute
the most heinous and high-profile crimes against women. Local and
national media have maintained their spotlight on sexual assaults and
other violence against women, leading to a torrent of disturbing reports
following last December's horrific rape incident.
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