Cult of Fear: Asaram Bapu (2025) s01e02 Episode Script

1
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
We believed that Asaram is God.
It's believed that his worth
would be in tens of
thousands of crores.
If Asaram said "jump off a
cliff," the disciple would jump.
These people whom we
considered our Guru, our God,
they only killed our children.
(NARAYAN SAI'S ASSOCIATE)
"Mahender, your corpse
will leave from your house."
Isn't this a threat?
Asaram and Narayan
practise black magic.
Narayan Sai and
Asaram Ashram's reality
should be exposed to the world.
During the first Diwali
after the Bhuj earthquake,
I was at Kalyan Ashram.
There was a river in front
of my room, to the east.
We used to relieve ourselves
in the open back then.
While washing my
hands in the bathroom,
I noticed a fire
burning at a distance.
Out of curiosity, I
decided to check it.
As I walked towards the
fire, I saw Narayan Sai there.
Later, he asked me, "What
did you see last night?"
I told him that I saw
someone lying beside him.
There was a skull
kept on top of the body
and you were offering
prayers to the fire.
That is all I saw.
He said,
"People who witness such
rituals either lose their sanity or die.
You have an incredibly
strong willpower,
that is why you survived."
And he said to me, "If you
want to dabble in the occult
then practise these chants.
'Mohan mantra, Maran,
Vashikaran, Buddhistamban.'"
They were occult chants and
prayers written by Narayan Sai himself.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
The two children who
died in Ahmedabad,
their fathers, the Vaghelas,
claimed that their children's
deaths were due to occult practices.
The condition in which
the bodies are seen
itself would suggest that
the death is not natural.
It is not due to drowning.
It is not due to
nibblings by animals.
A silent rally began in the
Nirnay Nagar area of Ahmedabad
where Dipesh's father
and Abhishek's uncle
have been on a hunger
strike for the past two days.
The families have alleged
that their children
have been murdered.
The administration was shaken
by the thought of how they
could handle the situation.
(CROWD CLAMOURING)
There was a lot of
tension in the environment
because Asaram Bapu was
going to be present there.
Asaram Bapu had come to
meet us just as a formality.
I was holding the
Gita in my hands.
I told him that God will
ensure justice to you and me.
(RIVETING MUSIC)
If anyone accuses me or my
devotees of practising occult,
I can confidently claim
that it is impossible.
-One last question.
-"Narayan, Narayan, Narayan."
-"Hari Om, Om, Om."
-Which which
"Om Namo Bhagavate
Vasudevaya"
(MUSIC INTENSIFIES)
Many areas were
affected by stone pelting.
Many vehicles were burnt.
For the first time, the
image of Asaram Bapu
was being exposed in the media.
I used to think that
nothing will happen to him.
He will be scot-free.
Suddenly a girl, a minor, claims
that she has been raped by Asaram.
No such major complaint
had been made
against a spiritual leader
in this manner,
in public domain,
by one of their own
followers' families.
(THEME SONG)
(MUSIC FADES)
(SOMBER MUSIC)
Ahmedabad's Nirnaypur
area is soaked in sorrow.
Till about a month ago, this
house which was full of life and joy
with Abhishek and
Dipesh's presence,
is mourning today due
to their untimely deaths.
(SOBBING)
The children's bodies
were found near the Ashram,
on the banks of
the Sabarmati River.
The Vaghela family is alleging
that the boarding school authorities
are responsible for their deaths.
(MELANCHOLIC MUSIC)
When I asked to speak
with Asaram Bapu,
my request was denied
by the school authorities.
They said that I couldn't speak
with him as he was in Pune
and his phone
had poor reception.
(HORN HONKING)
The children were
dead and he knew that.
He could have come back in a
day or two or even after a week.
He could've just come here and
said, "I'm responsible for the Ashram.
I will cooperate in
the investigation,
whether with the police
or the government."
He didn't offer any such assurances.
He neither said nor did anything.
(PENSIVE MUSIC)
He used to come to the Ashram,
but we didn't know each other.
We knew of each
other but not personally.
And when their children died,
I didn't even know that they were
the children of the same Shantilal.
Just as my faith was
at its peak, so was his.
He enrolled his
child in the Ashram.
Basically he trusted the Ashram
with full responsibility
of his child,
hoping it would instil in
his child the right values.
He didn't know that in reality
he was sending off
his child to his death.
(POIGNANT MUSIC)
You have this terrible
feeling about being lied to.
Everything you believed
so strongly was just a con.
It was a sham.
And you have to rebuild
your sense of morality
and your belief system
from the ground up.
You kind of have to
start back at zero and say,
"Well, what do I
think about things?"
(CROWD CHANTING)
I realised that these people
were evil in the guise of saints
when they did not let
us file a police report
even after 20 days had passed.
They did not file a
report themselves either.
They would meet the police first
and then they'd let us meet them.
They knew they'd
done something wrong.
That is why they were
behaving this way.
We realised that the police will not
conduct an impartial investigation,
so we decided to
do a hunger strike
demanding a CBI
investigation into the case.
Following the death
of the two children
studying at the
Asaram Bapu Ashram,
people's anger
erupted on the streets.
A silent rally began
in the Nirnay Nagar
area of Ahmedabad
where Dipesh's father
and Abhishek's uncle
have been on a hunger
strike for the past two days.
The families have alleged
that their children
have been murdered.
Their only demand was
for a proper investigation.
They didn't have
any other demand.
They didn't ask for
compensation or anything else.
They just wanted justice.
Although the rally
was silent at first,
but as it progressed,
thousands of people joined.
The atmosphere of
the protest changed.
The public also felt that
something should be done about it.
(CROWD CHANTING)
Down with Asaram!
We got the courage
to take it forward.
Whoever has committed the
murders should be punished.
The purpose of
organising this rally
is to awaken the people
of Gujarat and the police.
This is not about
a powerful man,
it's a matter of the deaths
of two young children.
The manner in which the
Vaghelas were protesting,
the kind of support
they got from the people,
one thing was very clear to me.
Somewhere, a spark was
slowly turning into a flame.
I could feel the heat.
(INDISTINCT)
The protest was such that
the administration was shaken
and they were wondering
what to do about it.
(CROWD CLAMORING)
(WHISTLES)
(CROWD CLAMORING)
Fifteen days after the
incident was Guru Purnima.
Guru Purnima is important
because on this day people
who worship their teachers
go and seek their blessings.
There was a lot of
tension in the environment
because Asaram was
going to be present.
-(HORN HONKING)
-(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)
Asaram thought that if he met
Dipesh and Abhishek's fathers,
then the matter would calm down.
Ten to 15 people from the
society were always around me.
They informed me that
Asaram Bapu wants to meet me.
I told them that I
didn't want to meet him.
They said that he has
already reached Akbar Nagar.
Asaram Bapu had come to
meet us just as a formality.
I was sitting on a
cot behind the stage.
Asaram came and called out to me
with folded hands
and an apologetic face.
He said he was really sad
about what had happened.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
He must have been thinking
that even politicians fall flat
at my feet for my blessings,
then why is this
man not doing so?
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
I was holding the Gita in
my hands, as I used to read it.
I had faith in the
power of the Gita.
I told him that God will
ensure justice to you and me.
He just walked away.
Everyone including the media
was expecting Asaram
Bapu to say something.
Children enjoyed
taking a swim there
and they would
often wander that way.
God knows what happened,
I wasn't even present there
and I don't like to
comment on hearsay.
Around 9:00 a.m. I
get a call from outside
asking where I am.
I told them that I was at
the back, where the tent is
and Asaram Bapu is here
and he is sitting on the dais.
I was told to leave
everything and come outside.
There was stone pelting
happening outside.
-(CROWD CLAMORING)
-(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Asaram was
speaking into the mic,
saying that there's stone
pelting happening outside.
People should maintain peace.
People suddenly
appeared from behind him
with sticks in their hands.
When they came
out, I followed them.
(SIREN BLARING)
By then things had become worse.
Many areas were
affected by stone pelting.
Many vehicles were burnt.
The police had entered the area
and they were trying
to control the situation.
We got down from
the car at a crossroad
and that's when I saw
a truck full of people
with sticks in their hands.
If any follower has killed
those innocent children,
then I am responsible
for their murders.
I should be hanged first.
I trust my followers.
What do these media channels
think? What are they writing?
Do they think they
can make up any story?
One person suddenly called
out from the crowd and said,
"These media persons are the
ones who ruined Asaram's image.
Beat them all."
-(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
-(CROWD CLAMORING)
They followed us.
They grabbed me by my
hair and pulled me outside.
I told them, "We
are from the media."
They said, "We are beating you
up because you're from the media."
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
The psychological trauma
of the attack was distressing.
At that time, I had just
found out that I was pregnant.
Yes, Rekha.
(INDISTINCT VOICES)
Hello.
Please help me out.
Let's meet.
My family was also
worried about my condition.
Yes, Papa.
I'm hurt in the arm, Papa.
Yes, Papa, Vicky
is right next to me.
What happened to me
traumatised me for 24 hours.
But when I took the
mic in my hand again,
I felt that nothing
had happened to me.
At that time, the adrenaline
rush was something else
and I was determined
that we had to do something
and expose the
truth to everyone.
They are engaging in
hooliganism in the guise of saints.
Whatever we tried to
show, they kept saying,
"Do you want to
show this side of us?
We won't let you do that."
Personally, I felt
that, at the very least,
we should get justice
for the Vaghelas.
After that we
exposed a lot of things.
Asaram began turning
religion into a business,
starting with this
Ashram in Ahmedabad.
He changed from
Asumal to Asaram.
What began as a tiny
hut has now expanded
to over 700 acres of Ashrams.
We conducted interviews
and did everything
that was necessary.
The families of Dipesh and
Abhishek, who live in Nirnay Nagar,
have spoken against you.
It's not my fault if someone
influences somebody
-into saying something.
-I want to know one more thing.
How many questions will you ask?
-Just a more few questions.
-I wasn't even present there.
For the first time Asaram
Bapu was being exposed.
For the first time,
the unmasked picture of Asaram
was getting exposed in the media.
-One last question.
-"Narayan, Narayan, Narayan."
-"Hari Om, Om, Om."
-Which which
"Om Namo Bhagavate
Vasudevaya"
The media was continuously reporting
and focussing only on one issue,
how did Dipesh and
Abhishek get killed?
More than two weeks have gone by
since the two 11 year
olds were brutally murdered.
But nothing, not a single
clue has emerged so far
in the investigation.
Keep talking nonsense.
Keep accusing us.
What is Asaram Bapu hiding?
I have requested
the entire Judiciary of
Gujarat and the High Court
that the High Court itself
should appoint a judge
so that there are no flaws,
no cover-ups,
and no shortcuts taken
in the investigation.
And no one in
Gujarat will ever dare
to commit a crime like
this again in the future.
I have complete faith in this.
Ultimately, Narendra Modi,
who was then the
Chief Minister of Gujarat,
he ordered the Trivedi
Commission of Inquiry.
A commission is constituted
under the supervision
of a retired Justice
and the commission's job
is to conduct fact-finding.
So the fact-finding work
was handed over to
the Trivedi Commission.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
A commission is
a fact-finding body.
How the incident has taken place?
Everybody has to apply their mind.
This commission thought
it fit to invite everybody
and take their depositions.
Then there are advocates
representing the Vaghela
brothers, including me.
And Mr. Gupta was
representing Asaram Bapu.
I don't interfere in
anybody's personal life.
Nor do I investigate it.
The only question is, "what
is the prosecution's case
and how to falsify it?"
That is my only function.
Asaram Bapu is in charge
of the entire Ashram.
Those who are
admitted in the Ashram,
those who are
admitted in the school,
they look at the figure Asaram.
He has a responsibility
to look after the children
who are under his care.
I don't think the Ashram
is involved in this incident.
The children are
of a certain age.
We cannot call them adults,
but we can't consider
them as minors too.
We can categorise
them as semi-adults.
I have very high
regards for Mr. Gupta.
He's a very senior lawyer.
He knows the definition of
"adult" and that of "minor".
How can you brand them as adult?
You can't even keep
an animal tied up.
And they were
semi-adult children.
Now, they can go
anywhere they want.
No security guard will watch
over anyone for 24 hours.
There was a response
but there was no
logic in the response.
The record shows
that the ribs were found
cut and parts were missing.
And there was a
corresponding cut in the t-shirt.
This itself would suggest
that the death is not natural.
It's not due to drowning.
They have totally failed
in discharging their duty.
There is negligence
on their part.
This is an accident.
An accident can happen
to anyone, anywhere.
It happened to those children
too and we are saddened by it.
I did some investigation myself
and I found out that
the children were lured
by someone under the
pretext of taking them
to the Jagannath Yatra.
And that person was
a teacher at the school
who had registered
under a false identity.
He was actually a Christian.
He had sought help
from a disciple to
secure a job at the school.
But the school authorities
made the mistake
of not verifying his identity.
If they knew that this is what
was happening in the school,
then why didn't they
file a police report
as soon as the
children went missing?
If that was the case, then
they should've searched for him
accused him of the crime.
So now, we are
accusing Asaram Bapu.
There were many accusations.
The accusation was that
the children were killed
so that their genitals could be
used to practise black magic.
When Justice Commission was
formed, they investigated everything.
The main allegation
was black magic
so they started the
investigation in that direction.
First they went to the
Ashram and searched there.
They also met the
disciples in the Ashram.
When the police
interrogated them,
they also felt that black magic
was being practised there.
But these people were
not telling the truth.
They checked everything
to confirm if black magic
was being practised or not.
Black magic was
not being practised.
Why would anyone
practise black magic?
When we are benefitting so
much from chanting prayers,
then why should we
have anything to do
with black magic at all?
This is not us.
The current disciples
weren't saying anything.
But the disciples who
had left the Ashram,
told the Commission that black magic
was being practised in the Ashram
and that they have witnessed it.
(TURNING PAGES)
This is called "Buddhi Stambhit".
(MIND CONTROL CHANT)
If you want to control
someone else's mind,
then one should use this.
"Aakarshan Mantra".
(ATTRACTION INDUCING CHANT)
If you want to attract a
person, man or woman,
make them feel
attracted towards you
then this attraction
chant is to be used.
This chant is for
causing bodily harm.
He has written it himself,
"Tantra Sadhana".
It's an occult practice.
These are the same papers
that Narayan Sai gave me
when I had seen him
engage in occult practices.
He gave me these
papers the very next day.
The Justice Trivedi Commission,
investigating the
deaths of the children
at the Asaram Ashram in Ahmedabad,
has heard from Mahender Chawla
that he has witnessed Narayan
Sai perform black magic.
The papers on occult practices,
handwritten by Narayan Sai,
which he had
given to me himself,
I have submitted those papers
to the Justice Trivedi Commission.
So we decided to
examine Asaram Bapu.
We issued a summons
and called Asaram, but
he refused to participate.
This issue is not an easy issue.
Today if one saint
is being summoned,
tomorrow other courts will also
start summoning other saints.
Then saints will lose
their value in society.
We summoned him again
but he refused again saying,
"If you want then you can come
to my Ashram for my deposition.
I won't come to
your Commission."
On behalf of the Vaghela
brothers, we questioned
why these two witnesses
were given so much time.
If they fail to appear
before the Commission,
we demand that a
warrant be issued for them.
After that he attended
the Commission.
-(WHISTLES)
-(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
He did not come alone. He
came with thousands of people.
He brought a lot
of people there.
An entire road
was blocked for him.
His deposition
started at 10:00 a.m.
and it went on
till 8:30-9:00 p.m.
He came and sat on his chair.
Then he asked me,
"Do I look like a criminal to you?
What do you think about me?"
He started questioning me.
I said, "I didn't say that.
As far as I am concerned,
you are in the court,
you are in the Commission.
And before me, you
are merely a witness.
I don't know your status."
We began first with
the formal questions
and asked about his name,
residence and educational qualifications.
He used to answer
one or two questions
then he would say,
"Wait for 10 minutes, I have
to attend to my followers.
They are waiting to see me."
(CROWD CHANTING)
"I have a lot of followers
who are waiting for
me since morning.
They are hungry, they
haven't eaten anything,"
and you know a hungry
man can do anything."
So it was indirectly a threat.
He insulted the
commission saying,
"We know law and
order better than you."
(CROWD CHANTING)
As far as black magic is
concerned, he refused to talk about it.
He said, "Nobody practises
black magic in my Ashram.
I don't know black magic.
I have never done it.
And I have no
knowledge about it."
Secondly, when this
incident took place,
he was not present
in the Ashram.
So nothing could link
him directly to the incident.
He pleaded innocence.
He did not say much.
The government's strategy
was how to save Asaram
and at the same time
get their work done.
So they appointed the
Trivedi Commission of Inquiry
that would run for a long time,
and would spend a lot
of time in smaller matters.
The Commission that was appointed
in 2008 continued up to 2013.
The Commission is
endless. It never ends.
It is up to the
Commission to end itself.
The inquiry went on
for four to five years.
After that a report was
submitted to the government.
And in the report, Asaram
Bapu was given a clean chit
that black magic was not
performed on the children.
The Commission only showed
the negligence of the Ashram.
But how?
Who did it?
Why did they do it?
These things were
not clear anywhere.
We were exploited
for five years.
Not only did Asaram
Bapu betray us
but the administration
betrayed us as well.
They appointed the Commission
which went on for five years.
And for five years we kept
running from pillar to post.
The Commission is located
around 10 km from our home.
We used to sit there all day.
In fact that added fuel.
Already they had
lost their children
and on top of that they had
to bear all these expenses.
They are not millionaires.
They are ordinary people.
They have suffered a lot.
And ultimately the
end result is zero.
I have worked with families
where the parent has
experienced this serious loss.
I would imagine their feelings
are beyond comprehension.
I don't know if that's something
you can get over very easily.
Why would you get over it?
I think,
that is going to be
carried throughout
the rest of one's life.
The fact remains
that they have died.
"How?" Still a question mark.
Despite everything, nothing
happened to Asaram Bapu.
He became more powerful.
(CROWD CLAMORING)
Nobody had the
courage to say anything,
to lodge any complaint
against Asaram Bapu.
There was widespread fear
surrounding these so-called Godmen.
They are controlling
the politics.
Ultimately who is responsible
for the prosecution? The State is.
(CROWD CLAMORING)
I used to think that
nothing will happen to him.
He will be scot-free.
(POIGNANT MUSIC)
We had been hearing of these stories
through the D.K. Trivedi Commission.
And there was nothing
that Asaram Bapu
was actually being arrested for.
He had already been in
controversy for at least five years.
But Asaram held
substantial amount of clout
in certain constituencies
across the country.
You have these massive
charges in public domain
but where is the
police investigation?
Where is he facing the music?
Suddenly, uh
a girl, a minor, surfaces
in a police station in Delhi,
and claims that she has
been raped by Asaram.
(TENSE MUSIC)
No such major complaint
had been made
against a spiritual leader
in this manner,
in public domain,
by one of their own
followers' families.
And when we learn about the
family and how close they were,
and how devout followers
of Asaram they were,
it adds a lot of weightage
to somebody who is
challenging Asaram
and saying that look,
this is what he did.
(RIVETING MUSIC)
My name is Chanchal Mishra.
I was born in a village named
Mahwa in Dausa district in Rajasthan.
The girls there did
not get much exposure.
I felt that the police
services was a field
that did not recruit
a lot of women.
So if I joined the police services,
then I would get a lot of exposure.
After training, my first posting
was ACP West, Jodhpur.
I joined there in the
first week of July.
On 21st August,
I received a call saying
that I have been called
to discuss a
particular police report.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
So a minor girl had
filed a police report.
And the minor girl claimed
that on certain dates in August,
she had come to Asaram Bapu's
Ashram in Jodhpur and met him.
And the incident that
happened with her
was described in
the police report.
I was surprised. I was shocked.
Basically the girl's
accusation was that,
one night Asaram
Bapu called her,
enticed her and then raped her.
In Delhi's Kamla
Market Police Station,
a complaint has been
lodged for sexual exploitation.
When the Delhi Police
came to know about this,
considering the
seriousness of the matter,
they immediately
lodged a Zero FIR.
All further proceedings
will be conducted
at the police station
that has jurisdiction
over the crime location.
That's why the Delhi Police
has sent the Zero FIR
to the Jodhpur Police.
During the investigation,
if the allegations
are found to be true
then Asaram could spend
the rest of his life in jail.
We have with us
the Deputy Commissioner of
(JODHPUR) Police, Ajay Pal Lamba.
We are yet to verify
whether the child was
sexually assaulted or not.
The District Commissioner
of Police told me
that I will have to
investigate the case.
So under his guidance,
I conducted the
entire investigation.
(HEROIC MUSIC)
It was her first case.
It was a big investigation
where the whole country
was looking at this case
and perhaps in several
places in the world.
What an investigator does
is what a defence lawyer
is going to tear to shreds.
Everything has to be ironclad.
There can't be any mistakes.
So there you see a Chanchal
Mishra driving behind this case.
The first challenge was that
this police report was against
a prominent personality.
He is a religious figure
and a revered saint.
And his fan following
or his follower base is
not just limited to India,
but globally too.
A police report filed was
against such an influential person.
I have a question that
there is an accusation.
The accusations are being
made since the last six years.
Asaram Bapu has been
in the field since 40 years.
Can't there be a conspiracy
behind this allegation?
Just by looking at
the police report,
I cannot say whether
it is the truth or not.
The first possibility
we had in mind was that
there could be some conspiracy.
(SUSPICIOUS MUSIC)
The prime objective
was to verify
the facts mentioned in
the police report in detail
to ascertain the truth.
A team was formed
and we started our
investigation in that direction.
We went to the state
from where she belonged.
One of our teams went there.
First we checked
if she was lying.
My name is Narendra Yadav.
I work as a senior
reporter in Dainik Jagran.
When this case was happening,
I was working as
a junior reporter.
(TYPING)
I used to cover the case.
The girl's father was the chairman
of an Asaram Ashram committee.
He had a good
reputation in society.
He used to consider his earnings
as the blessings of his Guru.
He believed that it was
because of the Guru's blessings
and not his hard work.
(REPEATEDLY) Hari,
Om, Om, Om. Shakti.
(REPEATEDLY) Hari, Om, Om, Om.
In 2001, I heard his
sermon in Bareilly.
After that I was
influenced by him.
And in 2002, I got
initiated in Ahmedabad.
(PRAYER BELL RINGING)
(RECITING PRAYER)
The whole family, my
husband, our three children and I,
got initiated by Asaram Bapu.
Whatever he said,
we followed that.
We ate what he told us to eat.
We drank what
he told us to drink.
In Madhya Pradesh,
there was a boarding
school run by Asaram Bapu.
The girl and her brother
were admitted there.
Since the parents were connected
with Asaram Bapu, they thought
that by getting them admitted
in the boarding school,
their children's careers
will be successful
and they will be safe.
This girl was studying
in the first year
when she was told that she
has been possessed by a spirit.
She was called to the
Manai Ashram in Jodhpur
where Asaram Bapu was present.
On 2nd or 3rd August,
I felt dizzy in the hostel.
Ms. Shilpi came to know about
it but she didn't call a doctor.
After a day or two,
someone informed me
that Sharad sir had
called me to his office.
When I went there,
along with Sharad sir, Ms. Shilpi
and Bhavya were also present.
All of them said
that I have been
possessed by a spirit.
(OMINOUS MUSIC)
Next day Ms. Shilpi asked me
to inform my parents that I
am unwell and it is serious.
But don't mention the
bit about possession.
They will get scared.
On 6th August, Ms. Shilpi
called on my son's phone.
Shilpi was the warden
of the boarding school.
Shilpi told us to
leave everything
and chant the Maha
Mrityunjay prayer.
We chanted for about an hour.
But when we asked Shilpi
the reason for chanting,
she didn't tell us clearly.
Next day Ms. Shilpi called again
and said that our daughter
Lata is unwell and serious.
And we should come and take her.
When my father met
Sharad sir, he was told
that I have been
possessed by a spirit.
And Bapu has instructed
them to go and meet him
and to not go anywhere else.
Father asked Mr. Shiva
about the Asaram's location.
(TRAIN HORN BLOWING)
Shiva used to live with Bapu.
He told us that Bapu is in Jodhpur
and asked us to come there.
On 14th August, I reached
Jodhpur Railway Station
with my wife and daughter
and received a call from Shiva.
He told the auto rickshaw
driver to take us to Manai village.
So we took an auto
rickshaw and reached Manai.
The Ashram was in a big farm.
(OMINOUS MUSIC)
When we went inside,
there was a house.
Bapu was conducting
a religious gathering
under a Neem tree there.
When we reached there,
Bapu asked our daughter,
"Where have you come from?"
Our daughter told him
that she is coming from the
Chhindwara boarding school.
Upon hearing this, Bapu said,
"Oh, so you are the girl who
has been possessed by a spirit?
Come, let's rid
you of the spirit."
(OMINOUS MUSIC)
I was sitting in the
porch behind the hut.
Bapu called me from the
back door with a gesture.
Then Bapu asked me to go and
check what my parents were doing.
When I came back,
Bapu had turned off
the lights in his room
and was lying on the bed.
(SINISTER MUSIC)
The details mentioned
in the police report,
such as where she studied,
where she lived,
their travel timelines,
when we followed them,
the storyline and her
movements they all matched.
So we came to the
conclusion that it was all true.
On this date, the girl was present
with Asaram Bapu at this place.
There were only two people
who could tell us what
happened in that room.
Either the complainant
or the accused.
We gave them a
chance to tell us the truth
and present their evidence.
I called the Ashram immediately.
No one in the Ashram
was ready to understand.
I told them this
is a serious case.
Go and find out what it is.
It is your responsibility
to prove your innocence.
-It will be done.
-Yes.
But how will you prove it?
Because you are continuously
making contradictory statements.
First he said that he
didn't go to Jodhpur.
Then he said that he went
there but didn't meet the girl.
Then he said he met her
but the rest didn't happen.
You tell me,
-a minor girl who is scared--
-Minor? She was in 12 class--
-Can I ask my question?
-She was in 12 class.
Yes.
She isn't a minor,
she was in 12 class
and is very smart girl.
My followers
(LAUGHS)
Turn the camera there as well.
-Hari, Om, Om, Om.
-Let me tell you that
Turn the camera there as well.
Several followers of
Bapu are present here.
The whole country witnessed
a lot of demonstrations,
protests, processions, marches.
All of these had begun.
We want justice.
We want false accusations
against Bapu to be withdrawn.
I have said this again and again
that the investigation
is still going on.
As and when more facts come in,
we will take them
all into consideration.
He didn't come, so we had to
opt for custodial interrogation,
and arrest is a part of
custodial interrogation.
(FLUTTERING)
We received information
that he is in Indore
and our team will
be leaving for Indore.
It is not possible
that we take 400
people from Rajasthan
and surround the Ashram.
We consulted the Indore
Police and asked for help.
Then we formed a team
consisting of six people.
We knew that if we did anything,
there would be an agitation.
And to ensure
that the agitation
doesn't impact the city,
we had to make deployments.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
After that they made
deployments all around the Ashram.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
If Asaram Bapu
is unable to put forth
anything in his defence,
then Asaram Bapu
will be arrested.
We will support
the investigation.
We have sent a message
for all the followers in India
that they should not worry.
His son Narayan Sai was present.
We asked him to bring
Asaram for the interrogation.
He said, "Okay, please
be seated. I will call him."
We waited for an hour,
two hours, three hours.
We found out that
Asaram was giving
sermons in the Yagya Shala
and there was a crowd of
3000 to 4000 people present.
He was telling the crowd,
"Look, they have come to take me.
Will you let them take me?"
The crowd
responded, "No, never."
You are my courage.
-You are my strength.
-(CROWD CHANTING)
(CROWD CHANTING)
Pressure was mounting.
"The crowd is with me,
how will you take
me away from here?"
In these three hours,
they managed to deploy
followers on all the gates.
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
I got a call from an
officer from Indore police
saying that there is only one
gate which is left unattended.
You have only 15 to 20
minutes to get him out of there.
After that even we will
not be able to support you.
So I said, we either
arrest him or get out now.
But we have to get out.
We warned him
that if he does not come out
in the next five to 10 minutes,
we will enter.
But then suddenly, I don't
know what happened to him.
He began chanting, "Hari Om!
Hari Om!" And he came out.
He said, "I am a supporter of
truth and a pioneer of religion.
And you are a worker."
I said, "We have
nothing to do with this.
We just want to
interrogate you."
When we started
asking questions,
the followers started
closing in on us.
They started
coming from all sides.
I still get goosebumps
thinking about it
because I was right
there when it happened.
For them, he was a living
testament of their faith.
No rule was governing
them at that time.
It came to a point
where we had to
forcefully put him in the car.
(POLICE SIRENS BLARING)
Before the crowd could reach
us, we had to get out of the gate.
While on one end we
were putting him in the car,
the crowd was
shouting at the other end.
The crowd was being
controlled by ropes.
In spite of the ropes, the
crowd was throwing things at us.
Finally we put him in the car
and left as fast as we could.
Somehow managing to
make our way through,
we took him to the airport.
(HORN HONKING)
-(HORN HONKING)
-(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(HORN HONKING)
Justice might be delayed
but not denied, if nothing else.
We celebrated with firecrackers
when he was arrested.
Our entire Madhavbaug
area celebrated.
It was 31st August that day and
it was Abhishek's birthday as well.
On the same day,
he was arrested.
On 31st August.
It is very painful.
My heart is sinking.
Asaram Bapu had said,
"A conspiracy is being
plotted to trap me."
He knew this.
He knew this.
Those who put allegations,
put millions of allegations.
But
we accept this as a gift
and hold our heads high.
The complaint had been lodged
but we were wondering
whether any action
will be taken or not.
That was the biggest question.
If you are going
to arrest Asaram,
you need to make sure all the
evidence and proof are rock solid.
The proof must be strong enough
to make sure Asaram
doesn't get out of jail.
(INDISTINCT OVERLAPPING VOICES)
We have interrogated him,
and the preliminary charges
have been found to be true.
Jodhpur Police's team
has reached Delhi
Airport with Asaram Bapu.
The team, along
with Asaram Bapu,
will depart from Delhi for
Jodhpur and arrive around noon.
Thereafter, further
investigation will take place.
You can imprison
Bapu physically,
but the Bapu who
resides in our hearts
can never be taken from us.
And after that,
his followers booked
the entire flight
in which we were
bringing him to Jodhpur.
Almost 80 percent
of the passengers
were his followers.
(ALL CHANTING) Hail
Bapuji! Hail Bapuji! Hail Bapuji!
He is not a man but an animal.
He is not a man but an animal
who does not know
the meaning of religion.
A country where saints are
not respected is a dead one.
(ALL CHANTING)
And during that period, how
was Asaram's behaviour?
He was calm.
It's like when you know what
had to happen has happened
peace.