New Delhi/Surat: Self-styled godman Asaram’s son Narayan Sai, who was absconding for the last 58 days in connection with a sexual assault case filed by a Surat-based girl, was on Wednesday arrested by the Delhi Police from the Delhi- Haryana border.
“He (Sai) was arrested today (Wednesday) morning by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police from the Delhi-Haryana border. He will be produced in a court in Rohini this afternoon where his transit remand would be sought for being brought to Surat,” Surat Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana told mediapersons.
Four disciples of 41-year-old Sai–Bhavika, Vishnu, Ramesh and Hanuman–were also arrested along with him, he said.
Delhi Police sources said Sai had disguised himself as a Sikh man to evade being caught.
A reward of Rs 5 lakh had been announced for information leading to his arrest.
“He was sporting a red colour turban and a beard. He was wearing a T-shirt, pant and sports jacket in order to conceal his real identity,” they said.
The Surat police had registered two complaints by two sisters- one against Asaram and the other against Sai – of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other charges.
The younger of the two sisters had filed the complaint against Sai, accusing him of repeated sexual assault between 2002 and 2005 when she was living at the Surat ashram.
The elder sister, in her complaint against Asaram, had accused him of repeated sexual assault between 1997 and 2006 during the time she was living at his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. Asaram, 72, is in judicial custody in Jodhpur jail after being arrested in September for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor.
Asthana said in Surat, “Bhavika was the manager of Asaram’s ashram in Ahmedabad. She was in constant touch with Sai. We had put her under surveillance, following which we were able to net her.”
Dismissing reports that Sai had fled to Nepal and Bangladesh, he said that the operation was successful because of human intelligence and technical surveillance.
The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police had been looking for Sai for close to two months. It had got a tip off about his presence in Pipli village near Kurukshetra.
By the time the team reached there, he had left for Delhi in a sports utility vehicle. The police team followed the SUV and was finally able to intercept the car at around 1:30 AM at a refueling station along the Delhi-Haryana border, police sources said in Delhi.
They, however, said that they have arrested two aides of Sai–Ramesh and Hanuman- along with him. A juvenile was also present in the vehicle.
Additional Commissioner of Delhi Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav told PTI that Kaushal alias Hanuman was a close aide of Sai and had been named in the FIR in the sexual assault case.
Two separate FIRs were filed against Sai and Asaram on October 6 by the Surat Police at Jehangirpura police station based on the complaint by the two Surat-based sisters accusing the father-son duo of sexual assault.
A court in Surat had issued an arrest warrant against Sai in connection with the FIR on October 28 under Section 70 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The arrest warrant has been challenged by Sai in the Gujarat High Court, which had reserved its order on the petition for on Wednesday.
Lauding the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police for carrying out the operation, Asthana said that the entire exercise was undertaken in coordination with the Surat Police.
“Delhi’s Crime Branch performed its duties in a professional manner. Full credit to them for working in a professional manner,” he said.
To a question, Asthana said, “No preferential or special treatment will be given to Sai. He will be treated like other criminals as per the law.” He said security will be tightened and no one would be allowed to disrupt public order.(PTI)
