Additional District and Sessions Judge, of Jodhpur, Manoj Kumar Vyas rejected the bail plea of Asaram Bapu on today, 20 June 2015. This is the sixth time that his bail application has been rejected. It is noteworthy that the self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, who is 74 years old, is in jail since 1st September 2013 for allegedly raping a minor. His repeated applications for getting bail have been rejected by different courts since then. This time, BJP leader and lawyer Dr. Subramanian Swamy had argued in the court for grant of bail to Asaram. The arguments took place on 19 June 2015 when the court reserved the judgment. Today (20 June), the court passed the order on his bail application, turning down the request for bail. Dr. Swamy had argued that the entire case had been fabricated and Asaram deserved to be released on bail. However, the court did not grant any relief.
It is pertinent to point out that previously, two bail applications of Asaram were turned down by the District & Sessions Court. Two bail petitions filed in the high court were also rejected and even the Supreme Court had refused to grant him bail.
Earlier today, Subramaniam Swamy had tweeted that he was waiting for the bail order and that he may re-apply:
Waiting for the Asaram bail rejection order. If it is because the sixth material has not been examined then the door is open to re- apply.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) June 20, 2015
Subsequently, he tweeted that bail was certain in July 2015:
Judging by ETV report it is that reason: sixth witness playing hookie should be given one more chance by 29/6. If so bail certain in July.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) June 20, 2015
Asaram’s original name is Asumal Thaumal Harpalani or Asumal Sirumalani. He was born on 17 April 1941. He is more popularly known as Asaram Bapu.
It is noteworthy that in August 2013, Asaram Bapu was alleged to have sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl at his ashram in Jodhpur on the alleged pretext of exorcising her from evil spirits. Parents of the girl filed a complaint with the police in Delhi, instead of filing the complaint in Jodhpur where the alleged offence took place. It has been reported that the medical examination allegedly confirmed that she had been assaulted. In this case, Asaram was booked by Delhi police for offences under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). Jodhpur police had arrested him on 1 September 2013 from his ashram in Indore. Though he had claimed that he was impotent and not capable of sexual assault, it is reported that it was found to be incorrect and tests had allegedly showed him to be capable of the act. Asaram Bapu had also contended that the allegations made by the parents of the above girl were due to a political conspiracy by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi whose Congress Party was then ruling in Rajasthan.
