Asaram ashram encroachment demolished in Gujarat

GANDHINAGAR - Revenue authorities Saturday demolished certain encroachments of the ashram of spiritual leader Asaram Bapu in Bhairavi village of Navsari district in south Gujarat.

The ashram was officially allocated 10 acres of land but it later encroached on another six acres of adjoining land and went on to construct a hall and a cowshed.

The villagers objected to this and drew the attention of the government which issued a notice to the ashram to vacate the land in question three years back.

After repeated notices drew a blank, the district authorities with police assistance Saturday bulldozed the encroachments to take possession of the land.

The “Godman” and his ashram had been in the thick of controversy after bodies of two boys, students of the Asaram school in Ahmedabad, were found from the Sabarmati river bed two years ago.