self-proclaimed saint asaram
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Gujarat government on the petition of jailed self-styled god Asaram. The petition seeks suspension of the life sentence awarded to him by the trial court in the 2013 rape case. A bench comprising Justices MM Sundaresh and Arvind Kumar told the lawyer representing Asaram that it would consider the issue only when there was medical reasons.
The next hearing will be held on December 13
Fixing the hearing of the case on December 13, a bench of Justice Sundaresh and Justice Arvind said we will issue a notice but will consider only the medical conditions. On August 29, the Gujarat High Court rejected Asaram’s plea to suspend the life sentence awarded by a Gandhinagar court in the case until 2023. While it suspended the sentence and refused to grant him bail, the High Court stated that no case had been filed seeking redress. The High Court had said that his arguments regarding the possible delay in the resolution of his appeal, his age and his medical condition were not relevant to granting him relief.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2023.
In January 2023, the sessions court convicted Asaram in the 2013 rape case. The case was filed by a woman living in his ashram near Gandhinagar. Asaram is currently in Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan in another rape case.
The High Court had said that his arguments regarding the possible delay in the resolution of his appeal, his age and his medical condition were not relevant to granting him relief. The court also considered earlier cases related to the alleged murder of two children at Sabarmati Ashram and attacks on witnesses and family members of the victims.
Asaram had given this argument.
Asaram’s petition said she was the victim of a conspiracy and that the rape allegations were false. He said the trial court was wrong to accept the victim’s explanation for the 12-year delay in filing the complaint. His appeal against conviction in a Jodhpur rape case is pending before the Rajasthan High Court. In January this year, the Rajasthan High Court rejected Asaram’s plea for suspension of sentence in that case.
Input-PTI
