The Supreme Court asked the Rajasthan government on Friday to take “proper instructions” about the health condition of self-styled godman Asaram, who is seeking interim bail on medical grounds.
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Mehta noted that three months ago, Asaram went to Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath and he walked everywhere. He had been granted temporary release to seek treatment at that time.
The bench has posted the matter for hearing on July 21.
On June 30, the SC had sought response from the Rajasthan government on Asaram’s plea challenging the HC order which had upheld his conviction and life sentence in the case.
The top court had said that, meanwhile, the medical facility that was extended to him till now should continue, subject to the satisfaction of the medical authority concerned. It had also granted liberty to the petitioner to make an urgent mentioning of the matter if his condition deteriorated.
The HC had upheld Asaram’s conviction in the case at large, but acquitted him of charges related to alleged gangrape and penetrative sexual assault on a child. It upheld his conviction under the legal section pertaining to rape of the minor, thereby retaining the sentence of life imprisonment awarded by the trial court.
The high court had also upheld convictions under several other provisions, including those for wrongful confinement, trafficking, criminal intimidation, insulting the modesty of a woman, and sexual harassment.
Asaram was convicted in 2018 for sexually assaulting a minor student at his ashram and was sentenced to life imprisonment under multiple provisions of the IPC, the POCSO Act, and Juvenile Justice Act.
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“We don’t want ourselves to be blamed or yourself to be blamed,” the SC bench remarked to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, news agency PTI reported.
Mehta told the bench that doctors had said that Asaram, convicted for sexual assault, needs some lifestyle changes for managing his health.
“We don’t want any untoward thing to happen,” the SC bench said, as per PTI. Mehta said the state would file an affidavit by July 20.
The Rajasthan High Court on May 27 upheld the conviction and life sentence awarded to the octogenarian in a case of rape of a minor in 2013. He has filed an application in the apex court seeking interim bail on health grounds.
The matter came up for hearing before a bench of justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale.
Mehta told the court, “There is some bleeding because of some gastro problem but that appears to be a temporary phenomenon,” and that Asaram is taking medicine.
The bench responded, “We will only say that please take appropriate instructions because we don’t want any untoward thing to happen.”
The counsel appearing for Asaram said he was a high-risk patient.
