India’s Asaram Bapu, 75, passes potency test

Jodhpur: Hours after his dramatic midnight arrest from his ashram in Indore, a Rajasthan Police team flew Asaram to Jodhpur where they questioned him in connection with the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, to which he pleaded innocence.

The police, who also ran a potency test on Asaram, said he was found capable of sexual assault.

He was later produced in a local court that sent him to police custody for a day. As the charge against him is non-bailable, the self-styled godman will go to jail Monday evening after his remand ends.

Asaram was also put through medical checks, including a potency test that came out positive. Police commissioner Biju George Joseph said a team of doctors had found Asaram to be physically potent while the other tests had declared him medically fit — contradictory to claims he made earlier to delay his questioning.

The police then took him to his ashram in Manai, 30 km from the city, where he is said to have sexually assaulted the schoolgirl on August 15. Some 100-150 of his supporters were waiting there and they tried to block the police convoy. The police lathicharged the crowd and arrested over 12 of them. (With inputs from HindustanTimes)