Two bail pleas of Asaram to be heard together: SC

New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) The bail plea of self-styled sectchief Asaram Bapu in a rape case lodged against him by a Surat-based woman in 2013 would be now heard along with a similarpetition filed by him in another case lodged in Jodhpur, theSupreme Court said today. "List along with SLP(Criminal)…," a bench of Justices AK Sikri and N V Ramana said while tagging the plea with theother case in Jodhpur. The apex court has already asked the All India InstituteOf Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to set up a three-member panel toconduct medical examination on 79-year-old Asaram and file areport before it for disposal of his bail plea in the caseregistered in the Rajasthan city. In July 2014, Asaram had sought bail on the ground thatGujarat Police had already filed a charge sheet. The 72-year-old religious preacher has maintained the sexual assault caseagainst him had been filed with mala fide intention. Asaram had further said the rape complaint was lodged12 years after the alleged crime. The bail petition has saidthat even after the alleged incident in 2001, the victim hadstayed in Asaram’s ashram till 2007. Two Surat-based sisters had lodged separate complaintsagainst Asaram and his son Narayan Sai, accusing them of rapeand illegal confinement, among other charges. The elder sister, in her complaint against Asaram, hadaccused him of repeated sexual assaults between 2001 and 2006when she was staying at his ashram near Ahmedabad. The sect leader is currently lodged in a Rajasthan jailafter being arrested in September last for allegedly sexuallyassaulting a minor girl at his Jodhpur ashram. The other case also relates to a rape case filed by ateenage girl who had accused Asaram of sexual assault athis ashram in Manai village near Jodhpur. The girl belongingto Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh was a student at the ashram.PTI PKS MNL SJK RKSARC