RAKESH PATEL.

▮ Identity sealed · POCSO §23

Prosecution witness, Surat rape case

Surat, Gujarat

“Rakesh Patel is a former devotee and videographer for Asaram Bapu who served as a prosecution witness in the Surat rape case. Patel survived an assassination attempt in March 2014 when vehicle-borne assailants fired at him in Surat.”

Rakesh Patel was a close disciple of Asaram Bapu who worked for several years as a videographer and media coordinator at the Motera ashram in Ahmedabad. In this role, Patel recorded spiritual discourses, public events, and private meetings, gaining deep insight into the daily activities of the godman and the management of his close staff. Following the filing of complaints in 2013, Patel turned against the cult and agreed to cooperate with the police.

Patel recorded a statement detailing the internal operations of the ashram and the movement of female disciples, which the prosecution used to support the Surat rape case. Fearing retribution, Patel requested police protection. In March 2014, while traveling in Surat, Gujarat, vehicle-borne assailants intercepted him and fired multiple rounds at his vehicle. Patel survived the shooting without serious injury, but the incident highlighted the immediate danger faced by whistleblowers.

The investigation into the shooting was initially delayed, but subsequent confessions by the contract killer Kartik Haldar and associate Tamraj in 2016 and 2025 confirmed that the attack was planned and executed by Asaram's hit squad. The attackers had conducted a recce of Patel's movements and were instructed by ashram coordinators to eliminate him to prevent him from testifying in court.

Despite the attack, Patel remained a prosecution witness, and his testimony contributed to the legal proceedings against Narayan Sai and Asaram Bapu. Patel subsequently withdrew from the public eye, living under police security in Gujarat. His case remains a significant chapter in the narrative of the witness intimidation campaign, illustrating the physical risks faced by former insiders who chose to expose the cult's activities.