New Delhi: The police on Thursday arrested a man who allegedly financed an attack in 2009 on one of the witnesses who gave statements against Asaram in a case of death of two children near the self-styled godman’s ashram. KD Patel, follower of Asaram who lived in his ashram at Motera here, surrendered before the metropolitan magistrate after the court rejected his anticipatory bail application on March 30.
Patel, a doctor by profession, is accused of financing attack in 2009 on Raju Chandak, who has deposed against Asaram before the Justice DK Trivedi Commission which probed the deaths of two children near the ashram some years ago.
Patel’s name was revealed by alleged sharp-shooter Kartik Haldar who was arrested in Raipur on March 13 by Ahmedabad police in connection with murder of three witnesses in an alleged sexual assault case against Asaram.
Haldar, who also attempted to kill four other witnesses in alleged rape cases lodged against Asaram in Jodhpur and Ahmedabad, told police some ‘sadhaks’ (of Asaram) had asked him to bump off the witnesses to weaken the cases.
Asaram is lodged in Jodhpur jail since 2014 in alleged rape case. A court in Gandhinagar this week framed charges against him in another rape case, filed by a Surat-based woman.