In a significant development, CID Crime officials have recorded the statement of Asaram Bapu in the case of mysterious deaths of two minor boys of the Gurukul run by Asaram Ashram.

Asaram Bapu has, in his statement, denied allegations levelled against him and his ashram following the death of the two children. He has also called the allegations part of a conspiracy to tarnish the image of ‘sadhu-sants’ of India.

According to CID Crime officials, Asaram’s statement was recorded on January 16 when he was in the city to hold a religious camp organised by his ashram in Motera village on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

Inspector H B Rajput of CID Crime, who is investigating the case, said, “The incident was related to the Asaram Ashram and Asaram Bapu is its authority. So, we went to record his statement in the ashram on January 16 when he was there to attend the religious shibir organised by the ashram.”

According to Rajput, they questioned Asaram for about two-and-a-half hours during which he denied all charges levelled against him and the ashram.

“He said he was in Nagpur when the two boys went missing. When one of his followers, Bharat, informed him about the incident, he had instructed his men in Ahmedabad ashram to look for the boys,” said Rajput.

“He has also denied the allegations that exorcism is performed in the ashram,” Rajput added.

When asked about Asaram’s views on the attack on media and other people residing near his ashram on July 18 last year, Rajput said, “Those incidents do not come under our jurisdiction and so we asked him questions related only to the issue of the death of two boys, which is being investigated by CID Crime.”

“We will verify the statement with the facts of the case and necessary steps will be taken,” he added.

The CID Crime officials had asked Asaram to record his statement on January 15, but, he showed his willingness to do so on January 16. So, Rajput went to Asaram Ashram in Motera to record his statement, which runs into four pages, said sources.

Two minor boys – Dipesh and Abhishek – had gone missing from the Gurukul in July last year. The boys’ mutilated bodies were recovered from the Sabarmati riverbed near the ashram one day after their disappearance. The mysterious deaths of the two children had led to a public outcry with the parents of the two children calling it an act of sorcery.