Asaram convicted for raping minor in his ashram

A Jodhpur court on Wednesday convicted self-styled godman Asaram of raping a minor girl at his ashram in Manai village near Jodhpur. The verdict was pronounced in the TADA court in the Central Jail amidst high security, apprehending a threat to law and order from his followers. Judge Madhusudan Sharma also convicted two others accused — Shilpi Gupta and Sharatchanda — in the case. Asaram was charged with raping a 16-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh's Shahajahanpur in 2013.