Hanuman alias Kaushal Thakur is  a resident of Ahiyari village in Bihar, whose father is said to have donated land in Bihar to Asaram to build an ashram.

Hanuman is also an accused in a rape complaint lodged by a girl at Jehangirpura police station, in which Narayan Sai is the key accused. Sai, Thakur, and the disciple — Jamna — are still absconding.

Advocate Farid Mastan, Thakur's lawyer, had filed an anticipatory bail plea at the Surat court few days ago. Mastan had told the court that Thakur was unaware of the goings-on in Sai's private quarters and that he was only a staff in the Ashram.

District Government Pleader Nayan Sukhadwala, in his arguments, said that through the statements of witnesses and the complainant in the case, it was learnt that Thakur knew about what was going on and that he was forcing girls to keep quiet. In fact, he went on, the complainant had also been brought to the ashram by Thakur himself.

Witnesses have given statements that Hanuman and the other accused were also videotaping the goings-on in the ashram. Sukhadwala argued that Hanuman's custody was necessary to locate Narayan Sai and Jamna.