Gunning For The Godman: Inside the True Story of Asaram Bapu’s Arrest and Conviction

Saurabh Tankha

Picture this: an honest cop and his team of 20 officers are preparing to arrest a powerful godman with crores of followers. Before they can act, word leaks out. What follows is a storm of pressure, persuasion, and threats designed to stop them from proceeding.

First comes money—an amount the officers are told they could never imagine. When that fails, influential figures from politics, bureaucracy, and business step in to dissuade them. Still undeterred, the police face escalating intimidation, including threats to their families.

But the team does not back down. Eventually, they arrest the self-styled godman and secure a conviction in a four-year-long trial for the rape of a minor girl at his ashram. Today, Asaram Bapu (Asumal Sirumalani Harpalani) is lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail, serving a life sentence.

This gripping real-life operation is detailed in Gunning For The Godman: The True Story Behind Asaram Bapu’s Conviction (HarperCollins India), authored by then DCP Jodhpur (West) Ajay Pal Lamba and co-written by Sanjeev Mathur of The Book Bakers. The book offers a first-hand account of one of India’s most high-profile criminal investigations and is set to be adapted for the screen.

The Night of the Arrest: Strategy, Pressure and Deception

Recounting the operation, Lamba explains that secrecy was critical. “It was part of our strategy to not let anyone know that Jodhpur Police was in the ashram’s campus at Indore to arrest Asaram Bapu. But the word got out and a large crowd gathered outside,” he says.

As the crowd swelled, police anticipated violence and initially waited for numbers to reduce. However, instead of dispersing, supporters grew more aggressive. To outmaneuver the situation, the team created a diversion.

“We made them believe we would exit through the main gate. A large Indore police deployment with anti-riot equipment was arranged there. While all attention was focused on that point, we broke the back wall of the campus and took Asaram Bapu out through a different exit,” Lamba reveals.

Pressure, Threats and Emotional Strain

The investigation was not just operationally difficult—it was emotionally draining. Lamba recalls how pressure from multiple quarters began affecting his team.

“I kept telling them to remember the pain the victim had suffered. If not us, who would protect her and her family?” he says. The case, he adds, reshaped him professionally.

“It made me more strategic and confident. But personally, it also made me more humane and sensitive,” he reflects. When the final verdict was delivered, the moment was deeply emotional for the team. “Each of my men had tears of joy. If the judgement had gone the other way, it would have broken us. But justice being served gave us a sense of achievement,” Lamba adds.

The Making of the Book

Co-author Sanjeev Mathur explains how the project began. “The idea came from my son, Suhail, co-founder of The Book Bakers. After Asaram Bapu’s conviction in April 2018, he reached out to Lamba and convinced him to share his story,” Mathur says.

Mathur met Lamba in Jaipur in August 2018 and began building the narrative from extensive conversations and documentation shared by the officer. “I structured the book as a first-person narrative, ensuring factual accuracy while avoiding exaggeration. The aim was not to sensationalise but to present a truthful, fast-paced account of events,” he explains.

He adds that the story has already attracted interest from the film industry. “The book has been acquired by a major production house. However, details are under wraps until official announcements are made,” Mathur says.

A Story of Justice Under Pressure

Gunning For The Godman is more than a crime investigation—it is a study of institutional courage under extreme pressure. It reveals the psychological and emotional toll on officers who stand against influence, fear, and power.

At its core, the book is about one thing: the cost of justice—and the courage it takes to uphold it. it themselves.”