Surat: A local court on Monday declared Narayan Sai, son of controversial self-styled godman Asaram, evading arrest for over a month in connection with the sexual assault case lodged against him by one of the two city-based sisters, as a proclaimed absconder. Local police is not able to trace Sai even 35 days after registration of the alleged rape case against him and his father Asaram by the sisters. Chief Judicial Magistrate A S Gadhvi declared Sai a proclaimed absconder under section 82 of CrPC on the application filed by police this morning as Sai failed to appear before police despite issuing of summons.

The court has asked Sai to appear before investigating officer or court within 30 days from the day of declaration of 'proclamation for person absconding'. In case of non-appearance within 30 days, the court said proceedings will be initiated against Sai under section 83 of CrPC, which entails seizure of personal property. After the case was filed against Sai on October 6, Surat police on October 7 issued a lookout notice against Sai so that he cannot leave the country.

Police had booked Asaram and Sai on charges of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other offences on the complaint lodged by the sisters. While the younger sister accused Sai of repeated raping her between 2002 and 2005 when she was leaving in Surat Ashram, the elder one accused Asaram of sexual assaults between 1997 and 2006 when she had been living in his ashram, located on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. Asaram (75) was arrested in August on charges of sexually assaulting a minor girl at his Jodhpur ashram in Rajasthan and was lodged in jail there.