Court rap for Asaram Bapu's ashram

The Gujarat HC asks police to file a case against his Ahmedabad ashram for the attack on journalists last month. It also directs the ashram to pay compensation to those injured in clashes.

Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu's ashram in Ahmedabad continues to face flak as the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday asked police to file a case against the organisation for the attack on several journalists last month and also asked it to pay appropriate compensation to those injured in clashes.

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The court ruling came after a hearing on a public interest litigation.

Civic organisations had given a call for Ahmedabad shutdown on July 18 to protest the alleged tardy probe into the mysterious deaths of Dipesh Vaghela, 10, and his cousin Abhishek, 12.

The boys, studying in the gurukul run by the ashram in Motera on the outskirts of the city, were found dead in the riverbed nearby on July 6.

While police initially said the two had died of drowning, their parents said they might have been victims of occult practices.

During the shutdown, a group of journalists outside the ashram was attacked and many of them were injured.

The Motera centre run by the Asharam Bapu Trust refused to comment on the court's order.