Narayan Sai brought to Surat

Self-styled godman Asaram’s son Narayan Sai, who is accused of sexually assaulting a city-based woman at his ashram from 2002-05, was on Thursday brought here from Delhi, a senior police officer said.

Mr. Sai and his aides will be produced in court later in the day for their custodial remand.

“Narayan Sai, along with his associates taken into custody, was brought to Surat this morning,” Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said.

Mr. Sai, who was evading arrest for nearly two months, was arrested on Wednesday, along with two of his close aides, PSO Kaushal Thakur alias Hanuman (29) and driver Ramesh Malhotra (27), by Delhi police from Delhi-Haryana border after a hot car chase.

A magisterial court in Rohini yesterday granted 24-hour transit remand of Sai and two others to Gujarat Police.

Two sisters had lodged complaints against Mr. Sai and his father Godman Asaram of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other charges.

Surat police had booked 40-year-old Mr. Sai under various sections including rape, unnatural sex, molestation, wrongful confinement, unlawful assembly, rioting armed with deadly weapon, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy of the IPC.

In her complaint, the younger of the two sisters had accused Mr. Sai of repeated sexual assaults between 2002 and 2005 when she was living at the Surat ashram.

The elder sister, in her complaint against Godman Asaram, had accused him of repeated sexual assaults between 1997 and 2006 during the time she was living at his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

Godman Asaram (72) is currently lodged in a Jodhpur jail after being arrested in September for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl at his Jodhpur ashram.