SC to hear Asaram Bapu's bail plea in Gujarat rape case

The Supreme Court will today hear the plea filed by self styled accused godman, Asaram Bapu, in connection with a rape case registered against him in Gujarat.

Earlier in April, the Supreme Court had asked Gujarat trial court to consider Asaram Bapu's case urgently and finish the trial in a time bound manner.

In another case registered against him, the apex court had earlier dismissed his bail plea in a Rajasthan harassment case, where a teenager had accused him of sexually assaulting her during celebrations in a village near Jodhpur ashram.

The Jodhpur Police arrested Asaram on August 3, 2013 and since then, he is in prison.

The apex court had in October last year sought the Centre's response and five states on a plea seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI) probe into the alleged murder of children through black magic and attacks on ten witnesses in Asaram's rape cases.

Asaram Bapu's son Narayan Sai, has also been named in connection with a rape case registered against him by the Gujarat state.

Sai was arrested for allegedly raping a Surat-based woman who was his father's disciple between 2002 and 2005.

The Gujarat Government had earlier told the top court division bench that the rape case registered against Asaram would very likely precede in an expeditious manner, adding that the trial would be completed within six months so the bail should not be granted to him in the case.