More trouble for Asaram Bapu: Rape victim's father gives police audio clip against Asaram

Bareilly (UP), July 21: An audio clip in which self-styled godman and rape accused Asaram is purportedly heard offering bribe to a witness, who was killed later, has been handed over to police by the victim's father.

The victim's father said the alleged conversation was recorded eight months ago and he had got the tape from Kripal Singh, the slain key witness in the Jodhpur rape case, Superintendent of Police Shahjahanpur, Babloo Kumar said today. Singh, who was attacked in Shahjahanpur on July 10, died in a Bareilly hospital the next day.

He was the ninth witness attacked and the third one to have died. "The authenticity of the audio clip is being verified and if proved genuine, it will be used in investigations," the SP said, adding that voice of 74-year-old Asaram will be matched with his voice recorded earlier.

According to the girl's father, Asaram, in the purported clip, is heard telling the witness that he would get "50 per cent in advance and the rest after the job is done."

The conversation was allegedly facilitated by two of Asaram's followers — Raghav and Sanjay — who are also key suspects in Kripal's murder.

Asaram allegedly spoke to Kripal and his followers from jail. Asaram had allegedly sexually assaulted the 16-year-old victim at his ashram near Jodhpur in Rajasthan in 2013.

The girl's father said Kripal had handed over the clip to him so that it could be used to prove that Asaram had access to a cell phone even inside jail.

PTI