Narayan Sai rape case: Delhi HC notice to Gujarat Police

The Delhi High Court has issued notice to Gujarat Police on the anticipatory bail plea of a woman, allegedly an aide of self-styled godman Asaram son's Narayan Sai, asked to appear before police in Surat in connection with the probe in a rape case against Sai.

Justice Indermeet Kaur has asked the Gujarat Police to file a status report on the issue after it was unable to give clear details about the allegations against the 28-year-old woman and why she was required to appear in Surat within two days of the notice being served.

The woman was served a notice by Gujarat Police in December last year to appear in connection with the rape case lodged against Sai. Seeking protection from arrest by the state police, the woman contended that Surat police have failed to mention the reasons for which they sought her appearance.

Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for woman, told the court that even the FIR was silent about her role in the case. "According to the FIR, the incident took place in 2001-02 and my client was in school at that time. She was no way associated with the spiritual guru's ashram," he said.

However, objecting to the woman's plea, the counsel for Gujarat Police contended that the Delhi High Court did not have the jurisdiction to deal with the case as FIR was lodged in Surat.

The woman's plea said that a police team from Surat had, in co-ordination with city police, recently raided the woman's residence here but she was not present. In December, Surat police had served a notice to the woman, who has been associated with a magazine published from Sai's Jaipur Ashram, to record her statement in the rape case against Sai.