Cult head Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai, were today summoned by the inquiry commission, probing the mysterious deaths of two students of their ashram in 2008.

Justice D K Trivedi, who heads the commission, asked the father-son duo, whose followers managed the ashram, to appear before the panel on March 25.

The summons was issued following an application by Prafful Waghela and Shantilal Waghela, parents of the deceased, seeking questioning of Asaram Bapu and Narayan Sai.

S H Iyer, the counsel of Waghelas, said the commission had scheduled summoning of Asaram and Sai for later after examining other witnesses.

But today when Asaram's lawyer submitted that his client would not appear before the commission even if he was called, justice Trivedi issued summons to the popular preacher and his son.

The decomposed bodies of Dipesh and Abhishek Waghela, studying in the Asaram Bapu Ashram in Motera here, were found on the banks of river Sabarmati on July 5, 2008, two days after they were reported missing.

Following violent protests, the state government had announced a judicial probe into the deaths.