Asaram's plea for interim bail: We don't want any untoward thing to happen, says SC

NEW DELHI: "We don't want any untoward thing to happen," the Supreme Court said on Friday while asking the Rajasthan government to take proper instructions about the health condition of self-styled godman Asaram, who is seeking interim bail on medical grounds.

The Rajasthan High Court on May 27 upheld the conviction and life sentence awarded to the octogenarian in a case of rape of a minor in 2013.

He has filed an application in the apex court seeking interim bail on health grounds.

The matter came up for hearing before a bench of justices M M Sundresh and P B Varale.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Rajasthan government, told the bench that the AIIMS has said that Asaram needs some lifestyle changes.

"We don't want ourselves to be blamed or yourself to be blamed," the bench observed while asking Mehta to take proper instructions about his health condition.

Mehta said the state would file an affidavit by July 20.

"There is some bleeding because of some gastro problem but that appears to be a temporary phenomenon," the top law officer said, adding that Asaram was taking medication.

The bench said, "We will only say that please take appropriate instructions because we don't want any untoward thing to happen."

The counsel appearing for Asaram said he was a high-risk patient.

Mehta said three months ago, Asaram went to Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath and he walked everywhere.

The bench posted the matter for hearing on July 21.

On June 30, the apex court sought response from the Rajasthan government on Asaram's plea challenging the high court order which had upheld his conviction and life sentence in the case.

The top court had said that in the meanwhile, the medical facility that was extended to him till now should continue, subject to the satisfaction of the medical authority concerned.

It had also granted liberty to the petitioner to make an urgent mentioning, in case his condition deteriorates warranting emergency medical attention.

The high court had upheld Asaram's conviction in the case, but acquitted him of charges related to alleged gangrape and penetrative sexual assault on a child under the erstwhile Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

However, the high court upheld his conviction under IPC Section 376(2)(F) pertaining to rape of the minor, thereby retaining the sentence of life imprisonment awarded by the trial court.

The high court had also upheld convictions under several other provisions, including Sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 370(4) (trafficking), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman), 354(A) (sexual harassment) of the IPC, along with Sections 7/8 of the POCSO Act and Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

Earlier, Asaram was convicted on April 25, 2018 for sexually assaulting a minor student at his ashram and was sentenced to life imprisonment under multiple provisions of the IPC, the POCSO Act, and Juvenile Justice Act.