CID issues summons to Asaram Bapu's son

Ahmedabad, Aug 10 (UNI) The city's Central Investigation Department (Crime) has issued summons to controversial godman Asaram Bapu's son Narayan Sai and asked him to appear before them within two days to explain allegations, levelled against him by his former volunteers.

Asaram Bapu's former volunteers, in his various ashrams, have made several allegations against the father-son duo. The charges include misuse of ashram funds and sexual exploitation of women devotees.

The Ashram came into news after bodies of two minor boys, studying there, were recovered in mysterious circumstances from the Sabarmati riverbed.

Avin Varma (25), a former woman volunteer, had spent more than six months in Gangoi Ashram in Himmatnagar three years ago. She alleged, at a press conference yesterday, that the Ashram is run like a brothel and Asaram's son Narayan treats women members of the ashram as his wives and sexual activities are carried out there.

Mahendra Chavda, a former employee of the ashram, told newpersons that Narayan had threatened to kill him. He alleged ''When I was not able to collect big amount of funds for the ashram, Narayan used to beat me mercilessly.'' Veena Chauhan, president, Swayam Chaitanya Shaktipith, who claims to have been investigating irregularities at the ashram for the last three years, is considering to file an FIR against the ashram and the father-son duo and demand a probe into the malpractices.

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