Gurukul deaths: Panel asks Asaram to keep his date in Aug

In July 2008,two minor boys from the Asaram Ashram-run Gurukul were found dead under mysterious circumstances from the Sabarmati riverbed nearby in Motera area.

The deaths sparked off an unprecedented public agitation against the ashram and there were allegations that the two boys had fallen prey to some exorcist there attempting black magic.

Following widespread public protests,the state government had appointed the Commission to probe into the two deaths.

The Commission has summoned a number of witnesses from the Ashram,including Asaram and Narayan Sai.

The two were summoned on Wednesday.

However,their lawyer gave an application that one of the witnesses,Pankaj Saxena,had been summoned and his deposition was yet to be over since he was ill.

“We told the Commission that till Saxena’s deposition was over,there was no need for Asaram Bapu and Narayan Sai to appear personally before the Commission. So,accepting our contention,the Commission has fixed Saxena’s deposition for August 27 and asked Asaram Bapu and his son to schedule their programmes around Ahmedabad from August 29,” said advocate B M Gupta,who represents Asaram Ashram at the Commission.