Asaram Bapu, 75, passed potency test, say police

Jodhpur: The Rajasthan police want to extend the custody of spiritual leader Asaram Bapu, who was arrested on Saturday over allegations of sexually assaulting a schoolgirl in one of his ashrams last month. Asaram Bapu's day-long custody ends today. On Sunday, cops interrogated the 75-year-old for nearly four hours and even took him to the Hari Om Asram in Manai, 35 km from Jodhpur, to verify the events described by the 16-year-old girl who accused him of sexually assaulting her on August 15. The police also ran a potency test on him, and later said he was found capable of sexual assault. The self-styled godman, who teaches yoga and meditation, has denied the allegations so far, a senior police officer said. He claimed that he had never called the girl, she came to him. The girl's father, a disciple of Asaram Bapu, has alleged that the guru asked him to bring his daughter to his ashram for an exorcism ritual as she was unwell. But the police say there was no evidence that the girl was ill. Asaram was kept at the Rajasthan Armed Constabulary Battalion campus after his request to stay at his ashram was rejected. Sources say the police are preparing a special jail in the barracks for him. NDTV