Expedite Asaram's trial in sexual assault case, SC to Gujarat court

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked a Gujarat court to expedite the examination of witnesses in the trial of spiritual guru Asaram in the case of alleged sexual assault of a woman in his ashram near Ahmedabad.

"Expedite the examination of witnesses as may be practically feasible," said the bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice D.Y.Chandrachud and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul as Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that 29 prosecution witnesses have been examined and 46 were remaining.

The bench told Mehta to "expedite the trial and not to linger it" as he sought more time for its completion.

The victim had alleged that Asaram has sexually assaulted her between 2001 and 2006, when she was living in his ashram located in Motera, on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

The victim's younger sister has filed a similar complaint against Asaram's son Narayan Sai.

Asaram is lodged in the Jodhpur Central Jail and is facing prosecution under the provision of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl in his ashram in the Rajasthan town in 2013.

--IANS

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