Asaram Bapu’s temporary bail plea rejected

Gandhinagar

A Gandhinagar court today rejected the temporary bail application of Asaram Bapu, the accused in an alleged rape case, who had sought a 30-day release to perform the last rites of his nephew.

Additional District Judge R A Ghoghari of Gandhinagar court delivered the verdict.

Asaram wanted to be released for a period of 30 days to perform the last rites of his sister’s son Shankar Pagrani (68) who died on March 19. His body has been kept in a cold storage in a city civil hospital.

During the hearing of the plea, Public Prosecutor R C Kodekar had opposed his plea and submitted that the two brothers of the late nephew could perform his last rituals.

Kodekar also had contended that Asaram’s release could create a law and order problem.

However, Asaram’s lawyer B M Gupta told the court that his client should be released on temporary bail for 30 days since Pagrani had expressed his last wish that his last rituals must be performed by his maternal uncle Asaram because his parents died long ago.

Two Surat-based sisters had lodged separate complaints against Asaram and his son Narayan Sai accusing them of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and levelling other charges.

The elder sister, in her complaint against Asaram, had accused him of repeated sexual assaults between 2001 and 2006 during the time she was living at his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

Asaram (73) is currently lodged in a Rajasthan jail after being arrested in September 2013 for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl at his Jodhpur ashram.

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