Asaram Bapu seeks bail in alleged rape case: Gujarat High Court notice to state

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court issued a notice to the Gujarat government here today in connection with disgraced spiritual guru Asaram's regular bail plea in the rape case filed against him by a Surat-based girl.

Issuing a notice to the Gujarat government and the Gujarat police, Justice A J Desai of the Gujarat High Court, posted further hearing of the case to August 21.

Asaram had moved the bail plea and sought his release on the ground that the police had already filed the charge sheet. He had also alleged that the rape case against him was filed with "malafide intentions".

Asaram had said in his regular bail plea that the rape complaint filed against him after a time span of more than 11 years with "malafide intentions".

His complaint said that even after the incident of alleged rape in year 2001, the victim stayed in his ashram until 2007.

Earlier in January , Asaram had moved the trial court for regular bail in connection with the rape case, though it was rejected.

Highlighting alleged contradictions in the victim's statement, Asaram had sought bail, after the Gujarat police had filed a chargesheet against him in a Gandhinagar court.

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

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

Asaram (72) is currently lodged in a Jodhpur jail after being arrested in September for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl in his Jodhpur ashram.