Supreme Court Sends Notice to Gujarat Government Regarding Asaram Bapu’s Request to Suspend Life Sentence in 2013 Rape Case.
The Supreme Court has sent a notice to the Gujarat Government regarding a request from spiritual leader Asaram Bapu. He is asking to suspend his life sentence given by a Trial Court in a 2013 rape case. The two-Judge Bench, consisting of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice Aravind Kumar, stated, “We will issue notice, but we will only consider medical conditions.” Previously, on August 29, 2024, the Gujarat High Court denied Asaram’s request to suspend his life sentence. The Court mentioned that while there may be arguable points in a conviction appeal, this alone does not justify suspending the sentence. The various issues raised will be addressed during the final hearing of the appeal.
In January 2023, the Sessions Court found Asaram guilty in the 2013 rape case, which was brought by a woman living in his Ashram near Gandhinagar. The prosecution claimed that the victim’s parents were devotees of Asaram and frequently visited his Surat Ashram. The victim and her siblings often accompanied their parents for visits to the ashram. The family had strong faith in Asaram and his religious practices. During her time at the Motera ashram in Ahmedabad from 1997 to 2007, the victim worked as a Sevika. It was alleged that while she was there, she was sexually abused and unlawfully confined by Asaram and others who assisted him in these acts.
Asaram is currently in Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan due to another rape case. He claims he is a victim of a conspiracy and that the rape allegations are untrue. His defense argues that the Trial court made a mistake by accepting the victim’s reason for a 12-year delay in filing the complaint. Asaram’s appeal against his conviction in the Jodhpur rape case is still pending in the Rajasthan High Court. In January 2024, the High Court denied his request to suspend his sentence. The Supreme Court has scheduled the case for further hearing on December 13, 2024.
