A New Delhi district court has stayed the publication of a new book on the self-styled ‘godman’ Asaram Bapu, which was written by Additional Commissioner of Police, Jaipur, Ajay Lamba—police-officer who was involved with Bapu’s arrest and conviction.

The book, Gunning for the Godman: The story behind Asaram Bapu’s conviction, was to release on Saturday, but the court has now held that Bapu’s co-accused Sanchita Gupta would have her reputation suffer “irreparable harm” if the ex parte injunction is not granted when the book is published on Saturday. Its publication and release has now been stayed until September 30.

According to the book’s description provided by its publisher Harper Collins, “Gunning for the Godman is the no-holds-barred, first-hand account of how Ajay Lamba, then DCP Jodhpur (West), landed the case and got a team of dedicated officers together. It is the story of how, foiling the Baba’s many attempts to get away scot-free, they arrested him in a matter of only ten days, and how they assiduously saw the victim and her family through a four-year long trial. This, despite the countless threats to not only the girl and her family, but also to DCP Lamba’s own family and team. A testimony to unrelenting courage, this story of a dynamic police officer’s pursuit of justice is a lesson for these troubled times.”

According to the book, Bapu—who is sentenced to life in prison for raping a teenager—had bragged about his political connections while being taken into custody and told an officer he would receive orders from his superiors to not carry out the arrest, says an IPS officer who led the investigation.

The 79-year-old was arrested in August 2013 and convicted almost five years later in April 2018 on charges of raping a teen student of his ashram.

“Taking Asaram Bapu into custody was a challenging task and the toughest part of the entire course of the case. Despite all odds, it was done, Ajay Pal Lamba, who was posted as Deputy Commissioner of Police-West in Jodhpur in 2013, told PTI. Lamba has penned his experience of the case in a book titled Gunning for the GODMAN – The true story behind Asaram Bapu’s conviction, recalling the hardship and challenges he and his team faced during the investigation and the trial. The book, co-authored by Sanjeev Mathur and published by HarperCollins Publishers, will be released virtually on September 5.

Lamba said he, his team members, witnesses and even lawyers received threats during the investigation and trial.

Asaram was arrested by a team from the Jodhpur police from his ashram in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on August 31, 2013 and taken to Jodhpur via Delhi by air. According to Lamba, it was while the team was talking to Asaram in his ashram before his arrest that he boasted about his political connections and told a police officer, “Soon you will receive orders from your superiors that you cannot arrest me.”

With inputs from PTI