In a joint operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad and the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch have arrested the man they believe is responsible for killing three of the 11 witnesses in rape cases lodged against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai. The Indian Express reported that Karthik Haldar alias Raju Dulalchand Haldar, a West Bengal resident, was arrested from Sarona Bazar in Raipur on Monday. He has confessed to attempting to murder four other witnesses as well, but they escaped unharmed as he didn't have a formal training in shooting, ATS officials said.

The investigating officers said Haldar has been a follower of Asaram since 2000. ATS Superintendent of Police Himanshu Shukla said, “He attended a satsang of Asaram in Delhi in 2000. He joined the Motera Ashram of Asaram on January 11, 2001. He said he was being helped financially by other sadhaks for the attacks on the witnesses. He named four sadhaks at different ashrams and said they were giving him instructions to commit offences against witnesses in these cases.”