Asaram worked at a tea stall before he became a 'godman'

New Delhi: Self-styled godman Asaram has been accused of sexual assaults and land grabs. He had also come under severe criticism for his comments on the December 16, 2012 Delhi gangrape case. But who is Asaram?

IBN7 found that Asaram was born on April 17, 1942 in the Berani village of the Nawabshah District in undivided India (present day Pakistan) to Menhgiba and Thaumal Sirumalani, who was a businessman. His parents called him Asumal.

During the Partition, Sirumalani came to India and settled in Maninagar in Ahmedabad. Sirumalani died soon afterwards and Asumal had to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of the family. Asumal moved to Vijapur in Mehsana, which was then apart of Greater Bombay and the Gujarat was also included in it.

Asumal used to work at a tea stall in front of the magistrate's office in Vijapur in 1958-59. The tea stall belonged to Asumal's relative Sevak Ram.

People of the area say Asumal used to keep a long beard even when he was working at the tea stall. Rasik Bhai, a retired home guard who was posted at the magistrate's office during those years, recalled that Asumal used to work there.