SC adjourns hearing on Asaram's bail plea for medical treatment; next hearing on June 15

The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the plea of Asaram Bapu, who is undergoing life imprisonment in a rape case, seeking temporary suspension of sentence to pursue medical treatment at an Ayurvedic treatment centre in Uttarakhand. The next hearing is scheduled on June 15 (Tuesday). Earlier, a bench of Justices Navin Sinha and Ajay Rastogi adjourned the hearing for June 11 and asked Asaram to file a rejoinder to the Rajasthan government's reply.

This comes after Asaram challenged Rajasthan High Court's order in the apex court wherein his petition seeking temporary suspension of sentences to pursue medical treatment was dismissed.

On June 10, a father of a rape survivor has approached the apex court opposing the bail plea of Asaram stating that he fears that his daughter and his family could be killed by followers of the "highly influential, politically connected" self-styled godman.

Rajasthan Govt Opposes Rape Convict Asaram Bapu's Bail Plea In SC

The Rajasthan government has opposed the bail plea of Asaram before the apex court stating that he wants to change the place of his custody under the guise of seeking medical treatment. The state has claimed that Asaram, who had earlier sought bail for allopathic treatment of his ailments, has now prayed to be treated at an Ayurveda centre, only because his earlier round of petitions was not successful.

In his plea, Asaram said that he is an 83-84-year-old man whose medical condition is dire and required immediate holistic medical treatment. He has presented reports to the court and submitted that the treatment at AIIMS, Jodhpur was not sufficient as he had been given blood thinners, thereby making him bleed profusely.

Earlier on June 4, the top court had sought the Rajasthan government's response on a plea of Asaram, facing varying jail terms including a life sentence in sexual assault cases, that he be permitted to undergo treatment at an Ayurvedic treatment centre near Haridwar in Uttarakhand.

Conviction in a rape case

Asaram was taken into custody in August 2013 on charges of raping a teenage student at his ashram. He was subsequently lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail. The charge sheet in the case that was filed against him and the four others in November 2013 alleged blackmail in exchange for sexual favours. Following his arrest, a number of key witnesses were either attacked or went missing. The self-styled godman's personal aide was shot dead in 2014 while another associate was killed in 2014.

Through the years, Asaram moved 12 bail applications, of which 6 were rejected by the trial court, three by the Rajasthan High Court, and three by the Supreme Court. The self-styled godman was finally convicted in April 2018 under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and POCSO. In April 2019, a Gujarat court convicted Narayan Sai, his son, in another rape case.

(With ANI Inputs)

(Image Credits: ANI/PTI)