Ahmedabad: Enforcement Directorate seized Rs 8.10 crore in cash from two Surat-based persons in the alleged case to bribe police and judicial officials to weaken the rape offence lodged against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu's son Narayan Sai.

"We have attached Rs 8 crore from Surat-based Ketan Patel and another Rs 10 lakh from a woman, Reena Waghela, in connection with the bribe case against Narayan Sai," an ED official said here. Patel is a businessman with interest in the realty sector, while Reena is the wife of Hitendrasinh Waghela, one of the accused in the bribe case. ED recorded the statement of Sai on November 27 last year. In the statement, Sai said he had asked his aide Uday Sanghani to collect cash from Patel and hand it over to one Naresh Malkani of Surat, who will give the amount as bribes to police and judicial officers, the official said.

The bribe case was unearthed by Surat Police's Crime Branch last year. Police had also booked Patel, who had then maintained the cash was given as advance by the flat buyers in one of his projects. However, ED's investigation revealed that Patel's claim was bogus, said the official. Crime Branch had found there was an elaborate plan to bribe policemen, doctors and judicial officers to weaken the rape case against Sai during his remand period. Police had arrested 14 persons, including Sub-Inspector C K Kumbhani.

Sai is lodged in the Surat jail since his arrest in December 2013. Two sisters had lodged separate complaints against Sai and Asaram, accusing them of rape and illegal confinement and criminal intimidation, among charges. In her complaint, the younger of the two had accused Sai (43) of repeated sexual assaults between 2002 and 2005 when she was residing at his Surat ashram. Asaram (73) is lodged in a Rajasthan jail in a separate rape case.