Furore as Surat hospital staff, others perform aarti before rape convict Asarams photo
The Surat hospital management also sacked a security guard who was posted at the gate of the stem cell building where the puja was performed.
New Delhi: A massive row has erupted after a group of people, including the medical staff and security personnel, offered prayers to rape convict Asaram Bapu at a hospital in Surat. The hospital management clarified that no permission was granted for it after an immense outrage over puja ritual for a person who is serving life sentences in two cases of rape.
A video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media, shows the medical staff performing an aarti and bowing before the photo of the self-styled godman put up on the premises of the Surat's New Civil Hospital. The incident took place on Sunday.
Hospital issues clarification, guard sacked
As the clip drew backlash, the hospital management on Tuesday clarified that they only allowed the followers of the self-styled godman only for distributing fruits to patients. It said that no one was allowed to put up his photo and perform aarti and puja rituals.
The hospital management also sacked a security guard who was posted at the gate of the stem cell building where the puja was performed.
Dr Ketan Naik, Resident Medical Officer criticised the incident and said that what happened was wrong and shouldn't have happened.
"One of our staff members had called me and sought permission for distributing fruits to patients by followers of Asaram, to which we agreed. However, no permission was taken for putting up the photo and doing pooja on the hospital premises," said Dr Ketan Naik, Resident Medical Officer," he said, PTI reported.
Who is Asaram?
Asaram Bapu is a controversial self-styled godman who is convicted in two cases of rape. The self-proclaimed godman was awarded life imprisonment by a court in Gandhinagar for sexually assaulting a woman disciple. The woman, a resident of Surat, had in 2013 filed a case against him accusing him of molesting her on several occasions between 2001 and 2006 at his ashram at Motera near Ahmedabad.
Asaram is also serving a life sentence for raping a minor girl at his ashram in Rajasthan in 2013.
He was convicted under sections 376 2 (C) (rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 342 (wrongful detention), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 357 (assault or criminal force in the attempt to wrongfully confine a person), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).