A man wanted for over a decade in connection with the murder of Amrut Prajapati, an ayurvedic practitioner and former witness against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, has been arrested from an ashram in Karnataka, Gujarat police confirmed on Friday. Kishor Balkrushna Bodke, the fourth of 11 accused in the case, was apprehended at Asaram’s ashram in Kalaburagi following a tip-off.
The Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) of Rajkot City Police acted on intelligence reports suggesting Bodke had been spotted near the ashram. Undercover officers posed as “sevaks” (volunteers) to identify and capture him. Bodke was subsequently brought to Gujarat on a transit warrant and handed over to the CID Crime department for further investigation.
“While Bodke was not one of the shooters who attacked Prajapati, he played a role in the conspiracy by compiling a list of individuals targeted for speaking out against Asaram,” said DCP (Crime) Parthrajsinh Gohil.
The murder of Prajapati occurred on May 23, 2014, when two assailants shot him in the neck and face at his Rajkot clinic. Prajapati succumbed to his injuries on June 10, 2014, while undergoing treatment at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, leading to the addition of murder charges in the case. He had been a key witness in investigations into the deaths of two boys whose skeletons were found at Asaram’s ashram and had also testified about the godman’s sexual exploitation of women.
So far, three individuals, including sharp shooter Kartik Haldar, have been arrested in connection with the murder. Haldar, who fired the shots, was apprehended earlier along with two others. However, eight suspects, including Bodke, remained at large until his recent capture.
Bodke is also wanted in two attempted murder cases and one assault case in Surat, according to police.
The Prajapati murder case, initially handled by the DCB of Rajkot City Police, was later transferred to the CID Crime branch of Gujarat Police, which continues to investigate the matter.
This arrest comes just days after the Supreme Court granted interim bail to 86-year-old Asaram Bapu on January 7. Asaram is currently serving a life sentence in a 2013 rape case involving a woman from Surat. The bail, which extends until March 31, was granted on medical grounds.
Also Read: PM Modi Still Anguished By US Visa Cancellation In 2005
