A file photo of jailed spiritual leader Asaram Bapu
Credit: PTI Photo
Shahjahanpur: Police are investigating a viral video purportedly showing the father of a rape victim apologising for making false allegations against jailed spiritual leader Asaram Bapu, an officer said on Wednesday.
"Please forgive us. My daughter had made false allegations," the said video shows a man saying.
The video was circulated widely on social media with the caption that the man shown in the video is the father of the girl who was raped by Asaram Bapu in 2013 at his Jodhpur ashram when she was 16 years old.
The girl's father, a resident of the Shahjahanpur district, approached police on Tuesday alleging that the video was circulated by the followers of Asaram to malign him and his family.
Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Meena said, "We have received in writing from the victim's father that it's not him in the video which is doing rounds on social media. Efforts are being made to identify those involved in circulating the video on social media platforms with mala fide intentions."
Self-styled Godman Asaram was convicted by a Jodhpur court in the rape case and was awarded life imprisonment in 2018.