Jodhpur:
Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu, who has been jailed over charges of sexually assaulting a schoolgirl in one of his ashrams, will stay in prison for now.
A court in Rajasthan today extended the guru's judicial custody to October 25.
The 75-year-old, who teaches yoga and meditation and has 400 ashrams across India, has been accused of sexually assaulting a teenager he had allegedly called on August 15 for an "exorcism ritual." The 15-year-old girl has also accused the godman of threatening to kill her and her family if she reported him.
He has denied the charges, but the police claim they have evidence against him.
Asaram Bapu is now trying to fight fresh charges of rape against him and his son Narayan Sai, 41, filed by two sisters from Surat, Gujarat.
On Thursday, the father-son duo filed petitions asking the Gujarat High Court to cancel the rape complaints. The sisters have accused Asaram Bapu and his son of raping them between 2002 and 2004. They said they were inspired by the schoolgirl to come forward and report their story.
Narayan Sai yesterday issued advertisements in local dailies in Surat claiming innocence and alleging that he was being framed in the case. He also claims he is not absconding.
The police in Gujarat have sent summons for Narayan Sai to different ashrams run by his father in the state, but has been unable to locate him despite a hunt by six teams.