PRAKASH.

▮ Identity sealed · POCSO §23

Co accused, Asaram's associate

Gujarat

“Prakash is Asaram Bapu's former personal attendant who was co-accused in the 2013 Jodhpur rape trial. Prakash was acquitted of all charges by the Special SC/ST Court in Jodhpur in April 2018 due to a lack of direct evidence linking him to the crime.”

Prakash worked as a personal attendant and cook for Asaram Bapu, traveling with the spiritual leader across his network of ashrams. In September 2013, he was arrested by the Jodhpur Police during the initial crackdown on Asaram's inner circle. The prosecution charged Prakash with aiding and abetting the crime, alleging that he helped manage Asaram's schedule at the Manai ashram on the night of August 15, 2013, and assisted in keeping the victim's parents away from the cottage where the assault occurred.

During the trial, which took place under heavy security inside Jodhpur Central Jail, Prakash's defense argued that he was a low-level domestic worker who had no knowledge of or control over Asaram's actions. The defense pointed out that the prosecution had failed to introduce any call records, physical evidence, or credible witness testimony showing that Prakash had participated in the conspiracy or attempted to restrict the movement of the victim's family.

On April 25, 2018, Special Judge Madhusudhan Sharma delivered the final verdict. While convicting Asaram Bapu and two other aides, the court acquitted Prakash and co-accused Shiva of all charges, citing a lack of corroborative evidence. The judge ruled that the prosecution had not established any active role played by Prakash in facilitating the sexual assault or conspiring with the principal accused.

Following his acquittal, Prakash was released from judicial custody. He withdrew from the public eye and returned to his home state, avoiding further involvement with the ashram's administrative management. His acquittal was seen as a validation of the court's objective evaluation of individual culpability, despite the intense public anger surrounding the trial.